Silence
by AngelxInxHell
Summary: Complete. Based on ALW 2004 version with some Kay. Erik has given up on love and decides he needs a new infatuation. EOW pairing, with a little EM on the side. Dark tale of lust, hate, revenge with a twist...
1. Erik's Madness

This is my first attempt at fanfiction, please bear with me as I get used to the whole thing!

I have changed names, eg: Christine Chantelle, MegMelody, RaoulRohan, Erik stays and so does Antoinette Giry.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, as much as I wish I did.

_1: Erik's madness-_

Silence. It surrounded Erik like the shroud of black haze that now encircled his world. He liked it this way, he didn't have to block out unwanted voices or sounds, just unwanted thoughts.

_Easier_ he imagined, to block out thoughts than sounds because they are made by you and not some annoying other vying for attention. Though some thoughts were harder to shake, like those of _her._

She would creep through his mind at times like this, brush past his fingers, and flick her hair just so that her seductive aroma filled his nostrils, making his heart leap.

But then he would see her eyes, those warm loving eyes that did not burn for him, but for that half-wit D'Chagny. He would imagine them, holding hands, laughing, crying each other's name as they made passionate love. This was the most searing cut of them all; she now belonged to D'Chagny in heart, in body and by law, not to him.

Erik would feel his insides grow cold; the iron curtain that surrounded his heart which had temporarily been lifted by her was now drawn once and for all in a painful, final act. These thoughts would have him stand quickly and hurl something, a bottle, a ledger or even a chair at the cold stone walls of the underground grotto that was his home, listening to it shatter and break in the darkness, listening to it shatter and break his perfect silence.

He would then go to the drawers in his desk and remove a vial, a black silk tie, and a syringe. He would half fill the syringe, flick it gently and smile before rolling up his sleeve and tying the black silk around his bicep, coaxing one of the few unbroken veins to appear. Morphine was his cure from the thoughts that plagued him, haunted him. Without it, there would be no escape, not even his beloved organ with hundreds of scores and compositions could ease the pain she had left behind, the pain that was slowly killing him.

He sighed, a deep hollow sigh before slowly but surely easing the needle beneath his skin, piercing the swollen vein, letting blood mix with chemical in beautiful but sickening patterns. He shook his head, before gently pushing the plunger.

In his out-of-mind state he would sometimes find himself imagining her face if she ever saw him like this, tweaked out and crazy. Then he would laugh. _Why worry? _He would say aloud, _it's not like she will ever see me again. What do I care? She's probably fucking him right now! _

He would collapse on his bed and laugh, a cruel hysterical laugh of a madman, drifting through past and present with a numbed mind. It was at the height of this mindless rampage that he would more often than not compose his best works, bashing the organ with the passion and ferocity of a supernatural being, almost as powerful as music itself.

Before long, this phase would pass; leaving a poor excuse for a man slumped on the piano stool or against the cold stone twitching and shivering, staring into black oblivion until the drug got tired of lugging itself around his sorry body and ceased to release him.

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	2. Melody's finding

_2: Melody's finding-_

At first, Melody was sure he was dead. His eyes were open and staring into nothingness, his lips slightly parted, his skin deathly pale. She took a quiet step forward and listened hard in the darkness. Sure enough she heard his shallow, labored breaths gently shaking his weak body. With the little light that resonated from her candle, she could see he was sitting on the stone floor inside the main entrance that lead from the basement door to his lair.

He was leaning heavily against the wall, sagging a little to the right but otherwise unmoving, frozen in his current state. His shirt was torn in various places and she noticed a little blood stained the front. She looked down as a small knife that was lying in his hand glinted as it caught the candlelight. She let her eyes wander up his uncovered wrists and gasped quietly. They were discolored even in the bad light, with a sprinkling of small pin pricks and collapsed veins. _"What has she done to you?"_ Melody whispered aloud.

She remembered her mother telling her as a small girl, that a ghost-like man with a deformed face haunted the shadows of the Paris Music Academy, where Melody lived. She had said that his genius measured beyond reckoning in the fields of music, architecture and the ability to appear out of nowhere then disappear without a sound when needed.

When he had taken young Chantelle as his protégé and Prima Donna-to-be, Melody had become exceedingly jealous of her friend. He would come for her in the dormitories at night and take her to his lair deep beneath the floors of the academy, only to return her a few hours later completely spellbound and with a voice more magnificent than when she left.

Melody had seen him only once, the night of the end of year performance, after he had kidnapped the leading tenor just before showtime and taken his place on stage. He had looked amazing but his voice had captivated every soul, from the audience to the stage-hands. She had felt her insides squirm with jealousy and excitement as he had caressed Chantelle openly on the stage, singing softly to her, putting her under his spell, before she had humiliated him.

Her mind snapped back to the scene before her. This once great, proud man now a creature of pain, betrayal and humiliation, only alive because his body ceased to stop functioning, though she assumed by the looks of him that he had told it many times to. She found herself beginning to weep as she looked upon him, this poor tortured soul. _"Oh how the mighty can fall,"_ she whispered through her tears, _"How they can simply waste away after such a painful punishment…"_

He stirred at her words and she quickly composed herself, drying her eyes with her sleeve. She had been sent to do a job and by god she would do it. Her mother, Antoinette Giry, had asked Melody to go down and check on him as she knew he hadn't surfaced from the catacombs in many weeks. After the end of year disaster, Erik had disappeared, cutting all ties with Giry. This worried her, as she was his oldest friend, if not his only one, and could mean one of two things. He was either rotting himself away in the dark or dead, which was the presumption though none of the police had found a body during the raid. Melody's orders were to find him, tend to him if necessary or return immediately if the worst had befallen him. _Obviously, _she thought, _I won't be returning to the warmth of the academy dorms for a long while._

She took a step towards him and he came alive, but only slightly, blinking as he turned his eyes to her. The light from her candle illuminated his now visible distinct deformity, the shadowing effect making the ravaged flesh look much worse. She stopped dead in her tracks and met his cold, unfeeling stare. _"What do you want, little Giry?"_ he hissed at her. She shook her head to hide her fear and knelt beside him, taking one desecrated wrist carefully and began to take his pulse. _"Mother sent me to help you Erik."_ She answered softly, counting his slow, labored heartbeats. He watched as a lock of Melody's long golden hair fell out of its binding which she pushed back impatiently, allowing his gaze to soften as he looked down at the small, white hand cupping his own large one, and trailed his eyes up her arms to her face. He no longer saw the little blonde, he saw _Her._

He saw long, chocolate curls unbound, cascading over bare shoulders. He saw her dark eyes jeering at him, leading him on. And those lips, full lush lips that beckoned him to take a bite. He saw Chantelle.

His mind was playing tricks on him, tricks that felt so real to his stoned mind. He could feel the eruption of hate and anger welling inside him at alarming force until he couldn't hold it any longer. He roared suddenly and grabbed her throat with lightning speed and terrible force.

Even in his weakest of states he was powerful, slowly but surely constricting her small neck, preventing air from entering. He would punish her, just like she had punished him. He would make it so she couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't live.

He grinned wildly at her as he felt her small fists beating against his unfeeling chest, and tightened his grip on her. This time, there would be no escape. Melody stared at him through wide, frightened eyes and with the last breath left in her, managed to squeak "_Erik!"_ His grip immediately slackened and she fell to the ground gasping for air. His fiery eyes cleared and he was once again looking at the little blonde, though he realized he had just about killed her. _"I'm sorry…"_ Erik trailed off as she looked up at him fearfully through her glassy blue eyes. _"I thought…"_ She nodded knowingly and rubbed her neck, a red mark beginning to appear.

-

Not too long after Erik had begun to tutor Chantelle, his obsession with her heightened. He dutifully trained her voice to the highest of standards whilst spinning a trap of seduction and lust, just waiting for her to fall into. After watching and instructing her for years from the shadows, he finally saw a chance to make her his and acted on it quickly. He had taken her to his lair after her awe-inspiring first performance and almost seduced her, but her curiosity had gotten the better of the two and it had ended abruptly.

Erik continued to tutor her with everything he possessed, until she was reunited with her childhood sweetheart Rohan D'Chagny behind his back, and began an affair which led to their eventual engagement. Erik had gone crazy with hate towards Rohan, and the immense planning to get Chantelle back had almost consumed him.

He had planned to kidnap her after the final end of year performance, then murder D'Chagny. It had almost succeeded, but Erik didn't have the heart to kill him, to take away her lover even though he knew Chantelle would never return. He had hoped that she would see his love for her by sparing her lover, but she had denied him once more and left with Rohan, adding to the final demise of Erik's life.

-

Erik groaned and leaned his head against the cold stone and shivered, a guttural cough erupting from his lungs which caused Melody to worry. He wasn't exactly smelling that good either and she guessed he hadn't bathed in weeks. She stood and held her small hand out for him. _"Come Erik, we need to get you cleaned up. You look awful, let me help you."_ He sighed deeply but couldn't muster the bother to argue. He took her hand and slowly raised himself out of the shadows, letting Melody put herself under his arm to support his swaying frame. She turned them towards the inky blackness and let him lead them to his lair, with Melody stumbling and half dragging him blindly down the dark tunnel. Little did she know, this simple act had set off a chain of events that were now unstoppable.


	3. Out of Need

**Hey - Sorry for the delay but here it is. Please PLEASE review! Thank you SO much Nade-Naberrie, you are my light! Dont worry, longer chapters are coming, follow it along if you will...**

**Righto, on to the story...**

_**Previously**:_

"_Come Erik, we need to get you cleaned up. You look awful, let me help you."_

He sighed deeply but couldn't muster the bother to argue. He took her hand and slowly raised himself out of the shadows, letting Melody put herself under his arm to support his swaying frame.

She turned them towards the inky blackness and let him lead them to his lair, with Melody stumbling and half dragging him blindly down the dark tunnel.

Little did she know, this simple act had set off a chain of events that were now unstoppable.

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_3: Out of need-_

After what seemed like eternity in the inky blackness of the tunnel, Erik and Melody arrived in the freezing depths of the candle-filled grotto.

Melody noticed that Erik was shivering quite violently, from the cold or the drugs she couldn't decide. She helped him to the door of the small bathroom and he leaned against the door frame, breathing heavily whilst she drew a bath.

Steam began to rise out of the wooden tub, fogging the full length mirror at the end of the room and she stood, beckoning him closer. He swayed as he dragged his tired feet towards her, coming to a stop so close to her that she could feel his labored breathing on her face, sending shivers up her spine.

She unbuttoned his torn shirt and slid it over his broad shoulders, letting it fall to the ground as he shut his eyes and made no attempt to move away as she expected him to.

She gently undid the clasps of his filthy dress pants and let them fall too, leaving him completely bare to her gaze. She took his arm and led him towards the water, helping him into the sitting position and letting his head recline to rest on the baths edge.

She knelt and saw him stop shivering and finally relax as she reached for a cloth and began to wash his beautiful but filthy body. He was covered in scars and marks from past fights and recent self punishment, and it bought tears to her eyes as she dragged the wet cloth over them, almost feeling his pain.

He winced as she cleaned an open cut on his chest, causing it to bleed slightly, the blood mixing with a bead of water below and running quickly into the warmness of the bath water.

She reached down and lifted his arm, wiping away the dirt and blood on his bicep, gently washing his sorry wrist. She lowered it into the water again and moved down, dragging the cloth over his hips then down his legs.

He didn't even so much as stir at her touch, just let her hands do what she wanted them to, washing every part of him with the utmost care until she was satisfied, then she wrung out the cloth and reached for the soap.

She moved around to his head and began massaging the soap into his hair, gently caressing his scalp with her small, nimble fingers. She rinsed her hands in the water then filled a small jug by the tub, reaching up and rinsing out the soap, letting the water run over his face which she then wiped gently with the damp cloth.

As she gently caressed his ravaged cheek, she saw a single tear escape his closed eye, mingling with other beads of water on his face. She guessed it was because no one had ever shown the care she was now showing him because of his face, this obsession which kept him in solitude.

She placed the cloth down and stood, moving towards the pile of clothes to retrieve his small knife that he had discarded earlier.

He gave her a puzzled look and she smiled, kneeling beside him once more and ever so gently dragging the side of the blade down his cheek, shaving away the stubble that he had let grow there. When she finished and had wiped the knife, he brushed his hand over his jaw line and was amazed at her precision, not a single nick.

"_Where did you learn to do that?"_ He asked, making her jump at the sudden sound, as no one had spoken since the finding in the tunnel.

"_My father taught me before he died,"_ She answered softly, _"I saw him doing it one day and asked him to teach me."_ Erik felt a strange feeling crossing his face. It was a smile. He hadn't smiled in such a long time; he couldn't even remember the last time he had.

Melody smiled too, overjoyed that he was responding to her, but mostly because a faint glimmer of happiness had been restored to his dark, tortured soul.

She stood and reached for a towel, then grasped under his arm and pulled him up, wrapping the towel around his waist and helping him out of the tub.

She went to the door and retrieved a robe that was hanging there, deep green velvet with black trimming, and placed it around his shoulders. She then turned him to face the full length mirror and wiped the fog away so he could see his reflection.

She took two steps back and admired her work, then waited for his response. He ran his hand through his dark wet hair and smiled again, averting his eyes from his ruined cheek to her through the mirrors reflection.

He turned to her and she looked down, blushing slightly. Almost instantly, she silently chastised herself for being so stupid and reminded herself that she was not there to satisfy her own wants but his.

She looked up again to find he had moved closer. She calmed the welling excitement inside her as she realized what was coming next.

She had thought as much before she came down here, and her mother had warned her too. But she was ready, and she had waited for this moment a long time, ever since she had first heard him sing to Chantelle. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

"_Is there anything else I can do for y--"_

Before she could finish her question, he caught her lips in a heated kiss and wrapped his arms around her small body.

She was filled with such elation that she thought she would burst as their tongues danced together to a tempo only they knew.

To Melody, the rest was a blur. The tearing off of her dress, corset and undergarments, the falling of his towel and robe, the way she had shoved him down on the red and black silken sheets, the way he had taken her so willingly-simply out of need to cure himself of his pain, the way she rode him like she did-wildly, throwing her head back and sinking her nails into his freshly bathed shoulders, and the way they both cried out as they came together, relishing in the heat they had made to warm their freezing bodies.

There were no words as she lifted herself off him and lay down, letting the silk caress her burning skin as she pressed herself to him. She felt his breathing slowing and returning to normal, as with his erratic heartbeat and felt closer to him than she had ever been to anyone else.

It didn't matter to Melody that Erik didn't love her the way she loved him, or that the name he had cried out at the peak of passion wasn't hers. But it felt wonderful all the same knowing that she was helping him on the long path to recovery.

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PLEASE Read and review people! I need to know if I should keep going!


	4. The new Arrivals

**Hey hey! Here's some more to keep all you guys going. The school holidays are coming up (Yay!) so expect a lot more to come!**

**Galasriniel: **Thank you so much for reviewing, its so difficult when you're new to know if people like your story and whether its worth working on. I will keep going, you have restored my faith that there are people out there that like it! Thank you again.

**On with the story...**

**Previously:**

It didn't matter to Melody that Erik didn't love her the way she loved him, or that the name he had cried out at the peak of passion wasn't hers. But it felt wonderful all the same knowing that she was helping him on the long path to recovery.

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_4:_ _The new arrivals-_

Melody woke alone, tangled in foreign red and black silk sheets and shivering. She rolled onto her back and stiffened as she realized she was totally naked.

Suddenly all the events of the night before flooded into her mind and she relaxed back into the giant bed trying feebly to warm herself against the cold sheets.

She had found Erik half dead, and by the sounds of the melodies flowing from the organ, had breathed new life into his crushed soul.

She shivered again, realizing that her attempts to warm up were futile and rose slowly, searching for her abandoned clothing. It was time for her to return to the dorms anyway.

As she dressed herself she glanced around the dim room, noticing that the closet doors were open slightly and certain items of clothing taken, a sure sign that he was dressed to make an appearance up above.

She smiled to herself as she crept out of the bedroom and towards the tunnel leading out, glancing back only once to see him looking amazing, dressed in his best with his dark hair swept back and a white porcelain half mask placed over his right cheek. Erik was returning.

She silently giggled as she took off up the steps towards the light and warmth of the Academy.

As she reached the final door taking her out into the corridor of the girl's dormitories, she heard a great commotion and wondered what would be going on at this hour of day.

Fear took her suddenly as her mind was flooded with terrible thoughts; perhaps her mother was sick, someone had been seriously hurt in rehearsals, a kidnapping?

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the morbid thinking and opened the door, being met with many other chorus girls flitting about, with some carrying their bed linen and sulking. _Of course! _Melody thought as she slapped her palm to her forehead, _new dancers! _

Rumors had been circulating around the Academy dwellers for some time that a new group of dancers had been selected to join the highly prestigious Paris Music Academy Chorus, though none had been chosen to fill a vocal spot as yet.

Melody shut the basement door quietly behind her and made her way to her room. One of her close friends Rosaline sauntered up to her, tossing Melody's bed linen to her and grumbling, _"We got evicted. The bitches who took our beds are for real…" _Rosaline moved closer and whispered in Melody's ear, _"You wanna look out for the one on the right, I heard some freakish things about her…"_ She trailed off and pointed out a young girl, maybe seventeen with dead straight black hair falling unbound to her waist, average dancer's body, nothing obviously different. She was idly chatting to a girl about the same age with frizzy red hair tightly pulled back into a bun, and suspected they were friends.

Melody waved away Rosaline's warning, guessing she was just jealous about them taking her bed, and let her lead them to their new room.

-

Erik closed the lid over the organ keys and rose slowly, running a hand through his hair. Melody Giry had helped him to come to the conclusion that the only way to get over Chantelle was to find himself a new infatuation.

He needed more of what Melody had given him last night among other things, like another place to vent his great musical talent, which was fast going to waste.

Antoinette Giry, her mother, had informed him of new arrivals before he had shut himself away, and now he would return to the light to stake his claim on another innocent chorus girl and make her his star.

He stood and admired himself in a nearby full length mirror, smirking at his reflection, liking what he saw.

Blue-green eyes, darkened with intention burned under heavy eyebrows and long straight locks of ebony hair, elegantly slicked back reaching the top of his neck. His muscular chest was partly covered by an open lawn shirt of Spanish make, the slight ripples on the plunging neckline ending three inches below his smooth pectorals. A black silk cummerbund was wrapped tightly around his firm midsection, leading down to a pair of Spanish tailored black dress pants covering his fine muscular legs. To top it off, a styled set of black tails hung from his broad shoulders, hugging his strong arms and back. Perfect.

His eyes traveled back to the white porcelain sitting over the horrid excuse for a face and sighed. _I could have any woman he wanted if it wasn't for this_. He shook his head, looking away as he gritted his teeth. _No time for self pity, _he thought to himself, _there are things to be done. _

He picked up his black leather gloves resting on the piano stool and put them on, then turned sharply on his heel and made for the main tunnel leading to the basement of the Academy.

-

Antoinette finished braiding her long coffee colored hair and glared at her reflection in the mirror. Her age was starting to show on her pale features, with wrinkles beginning to appear on her forehead and around her eyes.

She rose from her highly decorated vanity and sighed. As much as she would've liked to apply makeup to conceal her age, there was no time. The day had well begun and she had to prepare the new girls for their first dancing lesson.

She fluttered out of her room and towards the main stage when she stopped suddenly and turned back, forgetting her walking cane. Her doctor had advised her to carry one after her fall on the night of the end of year performance, and it had become a habit that was now hard to break.

As she walked quickly to collect her cane from beside her vanity set, she noticed a familiar envelope sealed with a red wax stamp sitting amidst her many perfume bottles and hair brushes. She picked it up slowly, then turned her head and glanced around the room. After making sure she was alone, she lifted the wax seal and removed a small note which read:

_Dearest Antoinette Giry,_

_I wish for the pleasure of your company as soon as possible_

_I have some things I need to discuss with you._

_I shall be waiting in the usual meeting place,_

_Forever in your debt, Erik_

Antoinette froze, he had returned. She slipped the letter into a small drawer under her vanity, picked up her cane and left in a hurry. If he had said 'as soon as possible,' there was no time to lose.

She flew down the dormitory corridor shouting at the girls to hurry if they wanted to keep their place in the Academy and began her search for her daughter, whom she found lacing her pointé shoes and gossiping with the others.

Melody stood suddenly as her mother entered the room, and searched in vain for an excuse for why she was running late. Her mother quickly silenced her and whispered, _"Melody, you must begin the lesson in my absence. There are some things I must see to that are quite urgent."_ Melody's eyes widened as she met her mother's anxious gaze and nodded.

The only reason why she would miss a vital lesson had something to do with Erik, and that meant he had returned.

Antoinette patted her daughter on the shoulder and was gone again in a flurry of dark violet skirts.

She made her way quickly to the main stage and disappeared through a small door located in the shadows to the extreme left of the stage. With the precision of a cat, she moved between pieces of old abandoned sets and props coming upon a large poster of a show they'd put on many years ago.

She glanced around quickly to make sure no stage hands had followed her inside, and quietly lifted the bottom corner of the poster revealing a small room, dimly lit by a single candle.

She let her eyes adjust to the darkness and moved towards the figure seated at the end of the room. _"I came as fast as I could." _She said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The figureto face her with lightning speed and smiled, noting her quick breathing and flushed features. _"I can see that. I am eternally thankful that you could see me on such short notice."_ He beckoned her to take a seat next to him and she took it gratefully, lifting her cane to rest on her knees.

_"Anything to help you Erik. How are you feeling? I worried about you terribly until I couldn't take it anymore and sent Melody to you. In hindsight it was probably a bad idea."_ She looked at Erik pointedly and he returned her gaze with one of puzzlement. _"You probably shouldn't have done that Erik."_ She cocked her head to the side and this time he understood her notion, smirking as he answered.

"_It wasn't me madam. She started it. Besides, she has had many a bed partner beforeI, and her show of care bought me out of the shadows, so I daresay it was a very good idea to send her to me."_ Antoinette sighed and nodded her head in agreement, noting the arrogance in his voice and faced him again.

"_Surely you did not come up here to discuss my daughter's doings. What is on your mind, friend?"_ His eyes bored into her as he sent another mischievous smirk her way. _"I wish to discuss the new arrivals. Is there any talent to be found? Anything worth watching out for, hmm?"_ Her eyes narrowed as he finished his question and she answered with a little bitterness in her voice. _"I will only tell you if you swear to me that it won't turn into a fiasco like last time. Swear it!" _He looked away from her and fiddled with a button on his cuff.

"_You know full well I can't promise you that, though I will most definitely try. I need someone, Anne, even if it's for musical purposes only. You have no idea what it's like, to be always alone, night and day. All I ask is for you to help me…Please." _Antoinette looked into his dark pleading eyes and felt herself giving in. She had to help him or she feared he would fade away.

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R&R PLEASE!


	5. It's all in the hips, girls!

**A/N: Hey everybody. This could well be the last chapter I'm posting coz no one seems interested. :-( It was gonna be so sweet too...maybe I'll keep going for PD...shrugs Anyway, REVIEW DAMMIT! Ahem, man gotta hate those outbursts...coughs anxiously **

**Um yeah, here it is then..**

**Previously:**

"_You know full well I can't promise you that, though I will most definitely try. I need someone, Anne, even if it's for musical purposes only. You have no idea what it's like, to be always alone, night and day. All I ask is for you to help me…Please." _

Antoinette looked into his dark pleading eyes and felt herself giving in. She had to help him or she feared he would fade away.

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_5: "It's all in the hips girls!"_

Erik reclined in the rafters up above the main corridor leading from the dormitories to the rehearsal room, watching the comings and goings of the stage hands, staff and dancers.

He used to do this a lot in his spare time, listening in on private conversations between the managers of the Academy, to being subject to the inane gossip of the rightfully named 'Academy tarts'.

But today he was on the lookout for a young girl he knew only as Alyssa, approximately seventeen years of age with long, raven black hair.

Antoinette had suggested he take interest in her if he was looking for a playmate, as rumors had it that she was a rather wild, flirtatious girl with a dark side waiting to be provoked.

Erik was told that she had been understudy for the leading soprano at her previous music college, and once kidnapped and gagged her to secure the leading role in an important performance. She also apparently owned a pristine voice and her dancing was impeccable, just in need of some fine tuning.

It had all sounded very inviting to Erik, so he had made himself a comfortable seat in the shadows of the rafters to keep an eye out for her. He had almost dozed off, when an unfamiliar voice rang out, laughing and shouting coyly, _"It's all in the hips girls!"_

Her answer had been in response to the question, how do you get male attention? She had laughed at this, then turned and paraded down the hall swinging her voluptuous hips as she walked, catching the eye of every male in her vicinity, including Erik.

She had stopped and turned quickly to face her posse at the other end of the corridor, then spread her stance and bent forward a little, exposing her cleavage. She then dropped one shoulder, flicked her abundant hair out of her face, ran her hands up her thighs to rest on the sides of her waist, straightened up and blew a kiss to the others.

A few whooped and cheered at her show and ran down the hall to join her, while others rolled their eyes and sniggered wicked remarks. She had not a care in the world as he sauntered along with her friends, laughing and talking about whatever they did, and Erik did not take his eyes off her until she had rounded the corner to the rehearsal room and was out of sight.

_Yes, _he thought with a smirk as his heartbeat settled, _she is certainly one to watch…_

As the weeks went by, Erik rose from the depths of his underground grotto to watch over Alyssa. He would shadow her through the Academy corridors on her way to and from rehearsals, keeping just enough distance between them so she never noticed his presence, or creep into her sleeping quarters in the dead of night to watch her sleep from a dark hiding place.

He found it was difficult to observe her closely though as she was never alone. More often than not she was flanked by friends during the day, and at night she sat up till late telling stories of every genre to the other girls, from adventure epics to erotic love tales.

He listened in one night, stifling chuckles as she spoke of things she obviously knew nothing about. Although Erik had lived in solitude most of his life, he had learnt the tricks of the trade by reading books and making rare visits to brothels close by, also using the extremely infrequent visits of Melody Giry to perfect his skills.

He made the quick assumption that Alyssa was very inexperienced in this area of knowledge, and chuckled to himself as thoughts of educating her filled his mind.

He had left quickly, retreating to the depths of his home before she got the better of him and hatched a plan.

He would begin her vocal tutoring within the week, and move her to the private sleeping quarters. He would make her the new leading soprano, helping her to outshine everyone else with the brilliant skills he would give her. He would do what he had done with Chantelle, drawing her under his lustful spell with his enthralling power and control, except this time there would be no middle man, and no love involved on his part.

Gone was the man who sought love, it had been his ruination in the not too distant past. No, once he had her, he would simply use her for his music, his company, to cleanse his sorry body and soul from Chantelle.

She would be his by the end, and he would be finally rid of Chantelle once and for all.

-

Antoinette read the note that she had received from Erik that morning and sighed, putting her head in her hands. It had barely been four months since the last female escapade and already he was giving orders, which usually meant business.

She had received it in much the same fashion as the time before, placed neatly on her vanity table seconds after she left, though this time the content was much different. She raised her tired head again and re-read it, making sure she had memorized the commands:

_Dearest Antoinette,_

_Miss Alyssa Latrelle shall be awarded the position of understudy_

_to the leading soprano of this year, whoever you may choose._

_She will begin her vocal training with me in two days time, in the chapel at 4:00pm sharp_

_No exceptions._

_You will also move her out of the communal sleeping dorms to room 13 in the private quarters_

_She will be a star; therefore she must be treated as one._

_I trust you will see to these issues as soon as possible, and make it _

_known toMissLatrellethe changes that will affect her._

_Forever in your debt, Erik_

_Bloody men, _Antoinette grumbled under her breath as she slipped the note back into the envelope and placed it in the small drawer on top of the previous one.

She reached for her cane that was hanging on the corner of her vanity and leaned heavily against it, pushing herself from the hard wooden stool on which she sat.

The stress of the past few weeks, with the new arrivals and worrying about Erik had taken a heavy toll on her, and her old age had finally begun to ruin her once fit dancer's body.

She raised her head defiantly and straightened up as best she could, before striding quickly out of her quarters and towards the communal dorms, ready to break the welcome news to Alyssa.

After searching fruitlessly for close on to an hour, Antoinette located her daughter and asked her to pass on the message to Alyssa, if she happened to come across her.

Melody had been unwilling to at first, as she hated Alyssa immensely. She called her slut or harlot behind her back and gossiped about her with her friends.

Their friendship groups were always feuding with one bitch session escalating to a tussle between the heads of the groups, Alyssa and Melody. Alyssa had managing to twist Melody's arm behind her back almost to breaking point until Melody cried out for mercy, and swaggered away victoriously.

After a few minutes of arguing with her mother though, Melody had grudgingly agreed to pass on the message that she was to see Madame Giry as soon as she could. Antoinette thanked her daughter and strode away, back towards her office to wait.

-

Melody found Alyssa later that day in her room with two of her friends, also known as the Academy Tarts, gossiping quietly about love parings between members of staff. _"That old bat Giry would make a perfect match with Monsieur Firmin don't you think?"_ said Amelie, a devilish looking blonde girl with cat like eyes.

"_Oh yes definitely!" _Giggled Sarah, a small chubby brunette draped upside-down over the end of her bed,

"_What d'you reckon Lyss?" _They both looked towards the third member, awaiting her answer.

"_No he's too stiff for her. I'd say he'd do better with Monsieur André!" _replied Alyssa, reclining on her bed wearing only her corset and undergarments.

Laughter echoed around the small room in response to her remark, and Melody almost turned and left as she heard them badmouthing her mother. As she went to retreat, a loose floorboard creaked beneath her and caught the attention of the other girls.

Melody stopped in her tracks and turned to meet their cold stares. _"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Melody Giry."_ hissed Alyssa, a smirk beginning to form at the corners of her mouth. The other girls giggled as she rose off her bed and sauntered towards the doorway where Melody stood.

_"Come to join in the fun, eh Mel?"_ she whispered coyly. Her breath smelt of brandy and her eyes were slightly glazed, a sure sign she had smuggled alcohol in after their last trip into the city. Melody swallowed hard and met her drunken gaze. _"No, actually. Madam sent me to tell you that you must see her right away."_ Alyssa's smirk faded and turned to a scowl.

"_Oh. Am I in trouble with little missy's mummy again am I? Well that's too bad. Guess I'd better hot foot it then. But when I get back, you're finished for dobbing me in. Am I clear?" _She nodded to the other girls and they grabbed Melody, binding her hands and feet with their stockings and gagging her with spare lamb's wool they used to cushion the ends of their pointé shoes.

They pushed her under a bed as Alyssa slipped on a casual dress and moved to the door. _"Keep an eye on her." _She teased and with that, she left the room.

Alyssa found Madame Giry's room easily and tapped on the solid mahogany door. After a few seconds it opened and she was ushered inside, the door being closed quietly behind her. _"Take a seat Alyssa."_

Giry gestured towards a small chair in front of her desk and Alyssa flopped down into it, arms folded and a scowl plastered over her face. She had been in this same chair many times after causing fights or bullying, and it was becoming second nature; coming in, sitting down, being accused of something obscene then leaving as if nothing happened.

She waited for the scolding to start but it didn't, except when Giry sat down wearily on the other side of the desk. _"Wipe that scowl off your face, it's unattractive." _Alyssa straightened in her seat and gave the madam the most plastic smile she could muster.

Giry sighed, _"For once in your life, could you please try a little respect? You don't even know why you're here yet." _Alyssa sighed and rolled her eyes, _"Sorry madam"_ she mumbled. _"So what am I here for?"_

Antoinette shook her head, why was she doing this? Why was she helping this smart-arse bully to stardom? _"You have been promoted to leading understudy and will commence vocal training in two days time. You will go to the chapel at 4:00pm sharp, no exceptions. As for your sleeping arrangements, you will be moved to the private quarters before tonight, understand? You must go now and move your things, but make sure you are on time for your two o'clock dance rehearsal." _

Alyssa stared at the madam in disbelief. She hadn't sung a note yet and had already been promoted. _"Oh…well thank you madam. Um, I'll go now and fix my things then, shall I?" _Antoinette smiled and opened the door to the dazed girl. _"Yes, quickly now. Oh by the way," _Alyssa stopped half way through the door and spun round, facing Antoinette. _"You haven't been drinking have you?"_ Alyssa's eyes widened and she shook her head anxiously. _"No, of course not madam!"_ Antoinette smiled mischievously and shut the door as Alyssa swayed down the corridor to her room, still bewildered by the news.

When she reached her room, she flung open the door and cried out victoriously, _"Who's the leading understudy?"_ The other girls stared at her as she pointed to herself and nodded. _"No way!" _Amelie screamed as she jumped up to hug Alyssa. _"How'd you do it?"_ asked Sarah, still sprawled over one of the beds. _"I didn't do anything; Giry just gave it to me!"_

She flopped down on one of the beds and jumped off suddenly as she heard a dull squeak. She bent down and looked under the bed to find Melody bound and gagged staring at her. _"Oh my god I almost forgot!" _

She took hold of Melody and dragged her out, untying her and letting her spit out the wool from her mouth. _"You tell, and you're dead. Got it?"_ Melody nodded her head fearfully and fled from the room, tears beginning to sting her eyes.

Alyssa went on to explain her promotion to the private quarters, much to her friends' jealousy, and began collecting her things. They followed her to her new room and said their goodbyes, even though they would still see her at rehearsals and meal times. _"Ciao darlings, keep me up to date on the gossip now wont you?" _

"_You know we will."_ Sarah replied. _"I am so going to miss your bed time stories Alyssa! It's not fair!"_ Amelie complained as Alyssa opened her door to reveal her new sanctuary, consisting of a large bed, vanity set and full length mirror. _"Well you keep the tradition going for me, ok?"_ she answered as they hugged once more before the two girls turned and left.

Alyssa shut the door and sat down on her new bed, which was at least twice the size of her previous one. She let her gaze wander over her surroundings lit dimly with a few candles.

She set her linen down and lay back, relishing in the softness of the mattress and the quiet of her solitude. She felt herself drifting into sleep when a voice seemed to seep from the walls themselves.

_"Alyssa…"_ She sighed deeply as the voice filled her mind,_ "Alyssa…Shouldn't you be at rehearsals?" _She woke with a start. Rehearsals! She leapt from the bed and flung the door open, before looking back curiously. Had that been a dream?

She shrugged and trotted down the corridor in the direction of many voices. As the door swung shut behind her, she was unaware of the deep chuckle that resonated around her room, the type only one man could produce.

-------

**A/N: Ha Ha! I wonder who that man is ay? Well you'll have to tell me to keep going if you wanna find out...evil laugh**

**Well you all know what to do. REVIEW!**


	6. First Lesson

**Hey, I wrote more...aren't you lucky? Nah just kiddin. But I am serious about the writing stoppage due to lack of reviews, if i don't get any, the story goes. Anyway, to those who _did _review:**

**Darklady5289: **I live in a POTO-hatred zone, so in order to get anyone to read it, it had to be written unconventionally ie: name changes and stuff.I'm glad you like it and thanks for adding me to your alert list

**Sunshine23: **Um...if you are a fan of the Giry's, I don't think you'll warm to Alyssa, and if you are aErik/Christine (in my case Chantelle)shipper you will end up loathing her...so thats that thanks for your review! P.s: Is Erik your number one?

**So...here it is then...**

**Previously:**

She felt herself drifting into sleep when a voice seemed to seep from the walls themselves. _"Alyssa…"_ She sighed deeply as the voice filled her mind,_ "Alyssa…Shouldn't you be at rehearsals?" _She woke with a start. Rehearsals! She leapt from the bed and flung the door open, before looking back curiously.

Had that been a dream? She shrugged and trotted down the corridor in the direction of many voices.

As the door swung shut behind her, she was unaware of the deep chuckle that resonated around her room, the type only one man could produce.

-------

_6: First lesson-_

"_You can't let me forget my voice lesson, ok?"_ Alyssa took a bite of her croissant and looked around the great dining hall.

She swallowed and turned back to Amelie, _"I so want to get off on the right foot with whoever is tutoring me." _

Sarah walked around the two and joined them, putting her plate carefully on the wooden table. _"Yeah Lyss, who is teaching you anyway?" _She said as she sat down next to Amelie._"I don't know of anyone who does it except for maybe Reyer, but he does orchestra at four." _

Alyssa pondered the question for a while, unable to reach an answer and shrugged.

Madame Giry would be tutoring the junior dancers, so it couldn't be her. Monsieur Reyer, the old conductor would be taking orchestra, so he was off the list. Alyssa shuddered at the thought of Charlott, the temperamental shrieking soprano as her tutor, and dismissed the thought quickly.

She could think of no one else and began to feel frustrated, as she couldn't stand suspense. _"Nope, I just don't know. I guess I'll find out sooner or later."_

She suddenly remembered a story she overheard when she first arrived at the Academy, of a man who had taken a chorus girl and taught her to sing to prima donna standards.

She didn't know much else, except that he had almost destroyed the Academy because she rejected him. Perhaps he was still around, looking for another young protégé.

She finished the last of her croissant and licked her fingers, reclining back into her chair.

_"You mean you'll find out at four, right?" _Amelie broke her train of thought and reminded her. Alyssa rolled her eyes and laughed, throwing her arms around her friend. _"Where would I be without you Amelie? Four o'clock, right."_

Amelie giggled as Alyssa loosened her grip around her shoulders and wrapped her bread crusts up her paper napkin. She looked across the hall and spotted Melody, then closed one eye and aimed for her head, pitching the weighted napkin-ball with impeccable accuracy to smack Melody in the back of the head, causing her to spill her tea which she was in the process of drinking.

Melody turned to face Alyssa, dripping with tea and fuming. _"You fucking bitch!" _steamed Melody. Alyssa giggled and used the sappiest voice she could muster. _"Oops! I missed the trash can! Oh wait, no I didn't! I almost forgot, you're the trash around here!" _She pouted sarcastically and turned to laugh with her friends as Melody rose and left her table, heading to the bathroom to wash the tea off her face.

"_Come on Lyss, time for morning dance."_ Amelie dragged at her friend and Alyssa moaned in protest.

"_Is it time to go already? God there's no rest in this place, only dancing and eating."_ She stood and dragged her sore feet across the smooth, waxed floor of the dining hall towards the communal dorms. Amelie teased, _"Don't forget, singing too. Dancing, eating and singing for you. What are you doing? Rehearsal stage's that way silly!" _She nudged Alyssa playfully as she slapped her forehead. Her memory was so short.

She linked arms with Amelie and they sauntered off together down the long hall to morning rehearsals.

-

Erik crept through the catwalks above the main stage like a ghost, watching over Alyssa as she and her friends walked on and began their stretching.

They gossiped idly about this and that, laughing now and then and paying little attention to Madame Giry as she fought in vain for the control of the older class.

When they were finally quiet, the girls were instructed to practice for the magnificent performance which was being planned as they spoke.

Erik observed Alyssa intently as she moved through her routine with unrivaled grace, catching the eye of all present. She finished with a double axle and took a deep bow, earning applause from many in the class.

Erik smirked as he quietly joined their applause, not taking his eyes off her as she made her way to the side of the stage to watch her friends rehearse.

He slunk along the catwalks towards her when suddenly she looked up and he froze. A strange expression crossed her face as she searched the darkness above her and Erik's stomach tightened. Had she seen him?

She looked away and shook her head, then turned her attention to Amelie, who was now on the stage rehearsing her exam routine. Erik relaxed and allowed himself to breathe, that had been too close for comfort.

He made a move to leave but suddenly found he couldn't bear to turn his back on her.

She was like an angel, sitting quietly with her legs folded beneath her grey and white skirts, her hair falling delicately around her shoulders and her porcelain skin glowing with the beauty she seemed to radiate every day. Her dainty hands were folded in her lap and a far away look was set in her eyes, one which Erik had never seen before.

He inwardly cursed as he felt himself developing feelings for her and began the process of blocking them out, as he had done on many other occasions. He was _not _going to love her. He was not going to love _anyone._

The look vanished as Amelie sat down beside her, complaining about cramps and massaging her shins tenderly. Erik sighed and turned away. There were preparations to make for later that afternoon, so he grudgingly slunk back across the catwalks and back to the safety of the shadows.

-

The water gurgled down the plug hole as Alyssa stepped from the bath and reached for her towel.

She patted herself dry and winced as she dragged the towel up her aching legs; Madame Giry had worked the girls doubly hard as performance time was drawing ever near.

She wrapped up her sopping ebony locks in the towel and turned to face the full length mirror to her left, admiring her naked body.

Before she had time to start criticizing herself, there was a sharp knock at the door, followed by a shrill voice which could only belong to one woman. _"Hurry up in there you little brat! Your bath time is up! Darse prisa!" _

Alyssa jumped at the sudden noise shattering her calm silence and covered herself quickly in the nearest bathrobe hanging on the wall. _"Sorry Signora, I'll be out right away!"_

The only person in the Academy that Alyssa did not cross was the leading soprano Charlott Gudicelli, a fiery tempered screeching Spanish woman who could have you expelled at the drop of a hat, just because she felt like it.

Even in the short time Alyssa had been there, she had seen a few girls simply kicked out under her orders, even for no reason apart from that they irritated her. Nothing was said about the fact that Charlott irritated just about everyone in the Academy, they just had to put up with her.

As Alyssa began to open the bathroom door, it was flung open and she was pushed out of the way as Charlott bustled in, her face still plastered with stage makeup and her long red hair piled on top of her head.

Alyssa made for the exit and was shooed out quickly before the door slammed shut and sounds of complaining were heard from inside.

She sighed and made sure her towel was in place before trudging back to her room, shivering slightly from the cool draft making its way through the candle-lit corridors, teasing the small flames as it passed.

When she reached her door, she heard the voices of many young girls making their way to afternoon rehearsals and she smiled to herself. _Thank god for whoever set up my voice lessons, _she thought, _now I won't have to endure any more torture, for today at least._

She stepped through the door and locked it, before taking a few steps to the centre of the room and dropping her robe and head-towel.

She shivered slightly as her wet hair brushed her back and she stretched out her arms, relishing in her own privacy. She began to hum as she made her way over to her wardrobe, selecting a fresh uniform consisting of white and grey muslin skirts, with a darker grey bodice.

She opened a nearby drawer and took out a clean corset and set of undergarments, and went about dressing herself. Never before had she had the privilege of privacy as she had always lived in communal dorms, surrounded by many other girls. She took advantage of this new freedom and took her time, lacing her corset slowly and making sure her stockings were perfect before sitting at the grand vanity to fix her hair.

She settled with two long plaits in either side and as she powdered her nose, she glanced at the small clock hanging on the wall beside her. It read 4:05, she was late.

She swore loudly as she leapt up, dropping the powder puff and struggling into her skirt and bodice. A last minute check made sure that her clothing was on properly and she was out the door, making her way to the chapel using all the short cuts she knew, all the while praying her tutor would not sack her, as punctuality was everything in this place.

-

Erik sat on the organ stool located behind a look-alike stone wall in the shadows, tapping his fingers on the key cover.

He had constructed a place for himself to play out of her sight, so it sounded as it the music, and his voice, were coming form nowhere. _A clever illusion,_ he thought to himself, _though almost on the corny side_.

He wanted her to feel the music, not look at where it was coming from, a wretched desperate maestro longing for someone to save him from his torment. He dragged himself from his self hatred and glanced at a small clock on the bench next to him. It read 4:07, she was late.

He had guessed as much, as she wasn't really the best law abider in the Academy. That's what he liked about her, she wasn't afraid to get fiery at times or answer back to someone in authority. She had guts, and she was going to need them for what he had planned for her.

Erik stood up suddenly as he heard small footsteps in the chapel foyer, accompanied by quick breathing and quiet cursing. He peered around the fake stone wall and saw her making her way slowly to the centre of the large, hexagonal shaped chapel.

He casually sat back down on the organ stool, raising the key cover as he did so, then removed his leather gloves, preparing to play. _"You're late."_ He stated simply, smirking as the acoustics of the room took hold and accentuated his voice, making it louder and more resounding.

He heard her gasp and spin around looking for whoever was speaking, her breath coming in ragged gasps. _"Calm down Alyssa, you're no good to me panting like that. Come into the light, where I can see you."_The sound of her heavy breathing sparked delicious images in his mind, and he found himself smirking again as he watched her suddenly relax, sauntering casually into the large square of light streaming in through the ornate stained glass window.

The stained glass dappled her creamy skin and sent beautiful patterns over her uniform. _"Much better."_ He said softly, watching her as she stood with her arms crossed low and a small smirk crossing her face.

Noticing this, Erik quirked and eyebrow questioningly. _"May I ask what you're smirking about?"_ He asked sharply,_ "I see no reason why, you're eight minutes late for your first lesson and that's nothing to celebrate." _

A small laugh erupted from her throat to his surprise and she looked out the window, shaking her head slightly. _"I knew it was you, who else would it be?"_

He was caught off guard by her answer, but even more by what came next. _"So are you going to hide from me like a coward Monsieur, or will you join me for my lesson?"_

For a second, Erik could not respond. She knew who she was addressing, yet she cut him down like scum. He was almost taken over by rage but that was soon replaced by arrogance, and he admired her bravery, yet did not give anything away.

_"I, mademoiselle, am far from a coward and shall sit where I please. You on the other hand, are too smart for your own good. I suggest you watch your tongue, unless of course you wish to lose it. Now, shall we begin?"_ She sighed and nodded, assuming that Erik was watching and they began the lesson, starting with scales and simple arpeggios, then moving to more complex exercises and finally the song she was to learn as the leading understudy.

He played with exceptional skill, as if he was born to make music, and she followed his lead with her beauteous voice, the two forces uniting and sending wondrous sound throughout the chapel.

She felt as if his music was coursing through her veins and each time he sang with her, she felt as if her heart was about to leap from her chest.

As the song finished and the acoustic echo died away, the large grandfather clock at the back of the room chimed 6:00. They both jumped at the sudden shrill chime, and realized they had been playing for two hours.

As the last chime rang out, Erik replaced the key cover and stood quietly. _"You'd better get to the dining hall before you're late to yet another appointment." _

She turned quickly to leave then stopped and smirked again. _"Monsieur, just one more question?" _Erik cringed at the title of monsieur and answered her quickly. _"Please, call me Erik. Of course, what is it?"_

She picked the nail on her index finger and smirked again. _"Ok, Erik, just out of curiosity, did you kill her?"_ Erik was sure he felt his blood run cold as she finished her question, knowing exactly what she was referring to. Chantelle.

He was so taken aback by her question that it took a few seconds to regroup his scattered thoughts, and his delayed reaction told her she'd hit the mark. _"Oops, guess I hit a soft spot. Gotta go, see you tomorrow then Erik!" _With that she was gone, dashing out of the chapel and towards the dining hall, getting the exact reaction she wanted.

By the time she reached the entrance to the corridor leading to the dining hall, she slowed to a walk and went over her last two hours with the mysterious maestro.

His music still rang in her ears and she almost regretted being such a smart-arse. She had always had a soft spot for powerful men, and the image he had set in her mind of himself excited her.

She quickly shooed the promiscuous thoughts from her mind and reminded herself that she didn't even know him, and made for the light and warmth of the dining hall, spotting her friends and hurrying to catch up with them.

Back at the chapel, Erik listened to her footsteps fade and swallowed hard, exhaling deeply. He turned to the shadows and began making his way to the secret entrance to his home, turning her over in his mind. She was a fiery little viper, proud and full of herself. She wasn't afraid to tempt the devil.

And he liked it.

-------

**A/n: Sorry if the spanish is wrong, it said it was right on my computer thesaurus.**

**Well, you know what to do, review and the story will continue...**


	7. Revelation

**A/n: Hey everyone, yes its still going. Hopefully I have intrigued you a little more to continue reading, but only time will tell...**

**Thank you so much to the people who reviewed, and I do understand that it takes effort to review a piece but I figure if you read it to where it stops, a few seconds reviewing wouldn't hurt **

**Speaking of which...**

**Waytoointoerik: **As I said before you are one of my faves and I thank you heaps for reviewing :) Makes me happy! I haven't come across many male fanfics so I have nothing to compare mine with, but I hopeit up to standard! Thanks again for reading!

**SporkGoddess: **Thank you for your comments, I willhave to read your Opera 101 piece to learn more. Sorry about the ignorance, its just howI imagined it to be. Also with the Spanish, I have no beta so to speak so its just a blind stab in the dark.I appreciate you took the time to point those hiccups out, thank you.

**LadyKarou: **I suppose you're right about the review thing, I do enjoy writing it, I just don't know whether you guys enjoy reading it! Thank you for your support, and don't stay up too late reading!

**Fizzing Whizbees:**Just a little question, what is a Mary Sue? I'm a bit confused coz it gets used alot but I don't know what it means. AlsoI am EXCEEDINGLY sorry about the anonymus review blocker, its just coz I'm new and didn't realiseI had it activated. Sorry! Thank you for R&R'ing

**Sunshine23: **Thanks for your support over the last coulpe of chapters, I appreciate it greatly. Alyssa's past is coming, but a few chapters later. I personally didn't like the ALW Christine and think that Erik deserves someone a lot stronger, with a little more personality! I hope I'm doing him justice!

**darklady5289: **Erik had better understand that its not just another sweet innocent Christine he has on his hands!Thanks for you recent support and I hope to see your name reappearing! Yes a POTO hate zone, I don't know how they hate it but they do..infact its more of a loathing really...

**A/n: Now! Let continue shall we? Ooh one last thing...********Its starting to heat up…Alyssa has been visiting Erik for lessons everyday for a few weeks and has gotten to know him, and wants him. This chapter's events are not just random, the feelings are mutual but we all know Erik isn't out for love now, don't we?...**

Previously:

Back at the chapel, Erik listened to her footsteps fade and swallowed hard, exhaling deeply. He turned to the shadows and began making his way to the secret entrance to his home, turning her over in his mind.

She was a fiery little viper, proud and full of herself. She wasn't afraid to tempt the devil.

And he liked it.

-------

_7: Revelation-_

As the weeks passed, Alyssa devotedly visited the same place at the same time for the same reason every day, though lately it seemed the initial reason wasn't all she went there for.

She knew her voice was getting stronger and more flexible, and she knew her dancing was improving out of sight.

But what she didn't know, was why every time she heard her mysterious maestro's voice, it would send an involuntary shiver up her spine and cause a blush to break out on her cheeks.

She didn't know why she dreamt of a deliriously handsome man dressed in black with the voice of an angel, her angel, leading her to his palace beyond the heavens to ravish her till the night's end.

She didn't know why she went to the chapel late in the night to try and feel a hint of his powerful presence.

Had he stolen her mind already, leaving only impure, lustful thoughts in his wake? Did she want to give herself to him?

Alyssa woke with a start, her hairline dampened slightly with beads of sweat. _"No!"_ She whispered hoarsely, and buried her face in her hands.

_"Or yes?"_ She raised her head again and dropped her hands to fiddle with the embroidery on the bed sheet. She had gone over such questions countless times over, and feared they may consume her if she did not react soon.

She let her eyes wander over to the large ornate full length mirror at the far end of the room where lately he would hide and sing to her, if she was stressed or having trouble sleeping and she wished he was there now, comforting her.

_If I do decide to tell him my feelings, will he laugh at me? A child of merely seventeen, and he, perhaps thirty, maybe older? What if he doesn't want me intimately? I know nothing of the theme of intimacy, though I flaunt my so called 'knowledge' everywhere I go. Will he mock my ignorance of the subject? If I don't do something, I shall surely die of frustration if I remain subject to his wondrous music…_

She shut her eyes and visualized his music playing softly in her mind, entrancing her all over again.

She sunk back down in her bed and began to hum along with the tune, not realizing that her hands were slowly slipping beneath the bed sheets and under her nightdress. She stroked from her knee to her inner thigh and let out a soft moan, _"Erik…" _

All at once, she crashed back to reality and wrenched her hands off herself, leaping out of bed shaking her head frantically and crying out softly to prevent anyone passing by her room to hear. Once she had calmed herself, she flopped down on her bed once more, shutting her eyes as she whispered, _"Why are you doing this to me?" _

"_And what exactly would that be, Mon ange?"_ Alyssa flung her eyes open and sat bolt upright as the beautifully familiar voice reached her ears.

She searched the dim room for the owner, and soon realized he was playing hide and seek with her yet again. _How long has he been watching? _She thought to herself.

Her eyes went back to the mirror, his hiding place, behind one way glass that probably led to down to the dark unknown. She was excited by the fact he called her _His Angel, _and allowed herself a faint glimmer of hope.

She suddenly realized he was still waiting for her answer and she pulled the covers around her exposed shoulders, giving nothing of her inner battle away. _"Why would I let you into my private thoughts, good monsieur?" _She teased, knowing full well he hated the title.

"_Oh no reason good mademoiselle, it's just that you seem a little tense. Having trouble sleeping are we? Hopefully there's nothing plaguing your innocent thoughts now…" _He trailed off, somehow knowing exactly what was going through her mind.

She bit her lip, trying to formulate an answer that wouldn't expose the truth. It wasn't easy, as she found he could always tell if she was lying. _Of course I'm tense, of course I can't sleep, of course my innocent thoughts are being plagued by impureness, but he mustn't know…_

"_No, I just had a bit of a nightmare. I'm alright now though." _She bit her lip again, waiting for his reply.

From behind the mirror Alyssa heard a soft chuckle, _"That's good to hear. We wouldn't want you tired for the performance tomorrow."_ He answered silkily.

Alyssa suddenly remembered she was performing the very next day, and felt nervousness begin to tug at her. She looked in Erik's direction and realized she had always wondered how long he sat behind the mirror and felt compelled to ask, completely forgetting the next evening's previous events.

_"Erik, Do you…How long…" _She inwardly slapped herself as she couldn't finish the sentence.

_"Go on."_ He teased knowingly, enjoying the intoxicating effect he had on her.

Alyssa took a deep breath, _"Do you watch me all the time? Do you watch me…dress?"_ She spluttered out her question feeling utterly embarrassed and awaited her amused angel's response.

_"Believe it or not, mademoiselle, I do have some decency. I only come here in the night to watch you sleep, that's all." _Alyssa sighed in relief and settled down into bed, finally feeling sleep approaching.

Before her lights went out, she asked one more favour of her angel. _"Erik, would you sing to me please?"_ From behind his glass barrier, he smirked to himself, the arrogance building up once more as it had been doing these past few weeks.

_"Of course, Mon ange."_ He answered, every syllable igniting the flames which already burned within his innocent young protégé. As he began his song, he came to the most intriguing conclusion of recent times.

Her mind now belonged to him.

-

Alyssa woke to the sound of sharp knocking on her door, followed by Madame Giry's level voice. _"Miss Latrelle, are you awake? May I come in?"_

Alyssa let the distinctive heavy French accent drift past her as she rolled over, still drowsy from the excellent nights sleep she had just had. A grin crossed her features as she thought about why she had slept so well, and her mind quickly went to thoughts of her angel, her Erik.

She buried her face in her pillow to stifle a giggle directed at herself for being so foolish during their late night rendezvous.

The knocking continued, breaking her train of thought and she sat up suddenly irritated, almost toppling over again as the blood rushed to her head from rising too fast.

She sighed and reached for her dressing gown beside her bed, then rose and made her way to the door to hinder the Madame's infernal knocking.

Alyssa opened the door a little way and was met by Madame Giry's intense gaze, though today she seemed extremely tired and run down, with dark rings encircling her amber eyes and her cheeks awfully hollow. _"Yes?"_ Alyssa half demanded.

Giry raised an eyebrow at her impertinence and answered, _"I was just letting you know it was time to rise, and making sure you were still here…"_ She trailed off and looked over Alyssa's shoulder, inspecting the room.

Alyssa leaned against the doorframe to prevent the Madame's prying eyes from traveling further. _"And why, may I inquire, wouldn't I be here?"_

Madame Giry's patience seemed to run out as she finished her question, and she retorted sharply. _"Don't think I don't know what's going on Miss Latralle. He was here last night, wasn't he?"_

Alyssa's eyes widened at the question and she opened her mouth to say something but was quickly stopped.

_"I am worried for you, is that a crime? I know what his man is capable of, and I would hate for you to fall victim to his trap."_ Madame Giry stopped suddenly, almost unaware of what she was saying.

Did she actually care for this common ballet rat? Why was she warning her against Erik? Alyssa stared at the Madame curiously as she gathered her thoughts.

They met each others gaze and Giry finished, _"Just be careful mon fille, se faire comprendre?" _

Although Alyssa hardly knew any French, she understood the Madame's question and replied, _"Oui, bien entendu." _

Giry then turned and left Alyssa standing in the doorway of her room, deep in thought. Why had she warned her against her angel? What did this woman know about the mysterious maestro that she did not?

Alyssa shrugged and shut the door, then proceeded to dress for the long day of rehearsals ahead, and thought eagerly to later that evening when the Academy would put on its first presentation of the year.

-

As the crowds of characters and extras began to disperse from the final rehearsal, Alyssa made her way to her room buzzing with excitement.

Tonight would be her first performance live on stage since the incident at her previous college, and although she had a minor part, she could hardly wait to get out under the stage lights and dance.

To Erik's dismay she had missed out on a vocal part this time around as she was still only an understudy, but she felt sure nonetheless her small ballet part would get her accustomed to the new stage and prepare her for bigger things to come.

She reached her room and rushed in, pulling off her uniform skirt and bodice and searching for her costume.

In her excitement she had missed the trademark white envelope sealed with red wax sitting on her vanity.

She laid her dress out on her bed and admired it. The bodice was of deep gold stretched satin with small red roses embroidered around the edges and over the thick shoulder straps, the piece reaching sternum height leaving her taught midsection bare to allow greater movement. The sandy-colored ankle length chiffon skirt with matching embroidery was finished with a large brown leather belt pressed with small metal circles that sat on her hips.

Alyssa quickly unlaced her corset, stealing a glance at the mirror to make sure she was alone before slipping into her costume. It felt wonderful, the translucent chiffon brushing against her toned dancer's legs and the bodice relieving her from the tight corset she had been confined to for the last few months.

She dug out her cream-colored ballet slippers and walked over to her vanity, setting them on the floor near her feet and prepared to apply her stage makeup.

As she reached for her bottle of foundation, she spotted the distinctive envelope nestled amongst two perfume bottles. She shrieked in delight and lunged at the envelope, ripping at the seal excitedly.

Once she had it open, she took a deep breath and peered inside, noticing a small note and something else buried in the corner. She upturned the envelope, the contents falling upon her hand and realized the object was a bracelet, made from silver with small links and finished with a clasp in the shape of a heart, with small intertwining flowers engraved into it.

She gasped in surprise and was suddenly filled with such elation she felt sure she would burst. _Could it be? _She reached for the note that accompanied the gift and read it slowly, taking in every word.

_Dearest Alyssa, _

_Please accept my gift as a token of my happiness for you on your big night._

_It is a shame they left you out of the voice section, _

_though I have a feeling your vocal debut is not far away…_

_I will watch your performance from the shadows as always, _

_but remember, It will be quite closely as I am on the lookout for items that need work for future lessons._

_Yours, Erik._

_P.s: Might I add, you look absolutely exquisite in your costume. So stunning in fact I am still catching my breath…_

Alyssa couldn't believe her eyes as she read the last sentence. An involuntary girly smile broke out across her lips as she read it once more. _'Still catching my breath…'_

She giggled suddenly and placed it down on her table, her heart in her throat and her breathing slightly quickened. She glanced at it again and then to the clock on the wall which read 5:30pm.

She gasped suddenly and lunged at her makeup, realizing she was late, yet again. Before she could apply the first daub of foundation to her skin, there was a sharp, hurried knock at the door before Madame Giry, Melody, Sarah and Amelie burst in, all speaking at once.

Alyssa stood and rushed over to the group, trying to comprehend what they were all trying to get across to her. Suddenly, Madame Giry shouted _"Silence!" _and as if by magic, the shouting ceased and she stepped forward.

She looked Alyssa hard in the eye and spoke. _"Something terrible has happened to Signora Charlott, she is unable to sing. You will take her placetonight, so I suggest you see the seamstresses immediately and review your lines." _

Madame and Melody Giry fled from the room leaving Alyssa dumbfounded and without explanation. She hurriedly thanked her friends for their well wishes and ran to the tailoring room to be fitted with her new costume, all the while feeling sure Erik had something to do with her sudden twist of fate.

Emerging from the seamstresses' room, Alyssa had never felt so beautiful in all her life.

The bodice of her new costume was of deep blood red, reaching her hips with fine ribs and black laces pulling it tight to hug her figure, large straps of white lace which fell off her shoulders and finished with the same small roses around the deep neckline which exposed much of her slight cleavage. The skirt was much the same as her last one, though much more extravagant, with many floating layers of sandy chiffon embroidered intricately with small patterns reaching her ankles, and topped off with one layer of thin white lace falling from the bodice to the ground.

Her hair was left unbound, dead straight and sleek, with a single red rose weaved behind her ear, and her face untouched except for dark mascara and a little kohl outlining her shadowy eyes.

As she was bustled to the stage, she suddenly remembered the bracelet Erik had sent her and quickly snuck back to her room unnoticed. She flew in the door and grabbed it, slipping it over her small hand and fastening the clasp before turning to hurry out her door again, only to almost run headlong into the dark figure standing in the now closed doorway.

She went to scream but he was suddenly behind her, smothering all sound behind his leather glove which was now pressed to her mouth. _"Don't scream Alyssa, it's just me."_

She relaxed suddenly as his voice passed her ear, the unmistakable beauty of it igniting her senses. He removed his hand and she whispered, _"Erik…"_

He moved in front of her again, and let her gaze upon her angel who had finally stepped out into the light.

He wore black dress pants and a white lawn shirt, joined at the middle by a deep red cummerbund, the same color as Alyssa's bodice. A black silk bow tie was fastened at his throat and a lovely set of black tails completed the outfit.

_"It's just like I imagined…"_ She whispered again, causing him to smirk as a small blush broke out across her angelic face. Her eyes immediately went to the mask as he expected, but then began roaming the rest of his features.

His hair was slicked back smartly and his eyes, deep grey-blue eyes burned into her, giving her the feeling he could see right into her very soul.

She looked away suddenly, blushing furiously and motioned to say something, but the words would not come. She felt cool leather again, caressing her cheek as he turned her face to him once more.

_"I came to wish you luck, Mon ange. If I may…" _He trailed off, and when their eyes met, he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers, startling and exciting her all at once.

She felt his hand snake its way behind her to rest on her lower back and he pulled her closer, feeling her sharp intake of breath. He teased her lips with his tongue and she opened for him eagerly, allowing him to delve into the warm recesses of her mouth, sending her higher than ever before, though try as he might to deepen their kiss, the damn mask prevented it.

She timidly inched her tongue forward to press against his, immediately feeling his grip on her lower back tighten as a low purr resounded in his chest.

He broke their kiss to breathe and smirked down at her dazed expression. He dropped one hand from her cheek, leaving the other resting tightly on her lower back, then moved his lips to her ear, the cool porcelain brushing her skin, sending shivers through her entire body.

_"Run along now, it's almost showtime."_ He whispered silkily, receiving a small sigh from Alyssa before she came to her senses and brushed passed him and out the door, heading for the main stage.

Erik absentmindedly touched his lips and smirked, rather pleased with the evening's events so far.

The poison had worked wonders by shutting up Signora Charlott, he had successfullythrust Alyssa into the spotlightand had tightened his grasp on her mind and soul. Now all that needed to happen was that Alyssa's performance would be a success, she would come back happy, and he would seduce her on the spot. Perfect.

He allowed himself a small chuckle of satisfaction as he left her room, making for the great concert hall as the sounds of the orchestra warming up filled the air.

Alyssa reached the backstage wings just in time to meet Madame Giry, who immediately commented on her flushed appearance. Before she had a chance to explain, the overture began and the spotlight flashed, marking her cue.

Alyssa took a deep breath and smiled, this was it. She held her head high, took on her role and stepped into the spotlight; finally gracing the stage in what she hoped would be one of the greatest performances of her life.

The final thought that went through her mind before she became immersed in her character was of Erik, her angel, watching her from above in the catwalks, willing her to excel. S

he smiled, then thought quickly, _by god I will! _before opening her mouth to sing her first glorious note, the first of many on that fateful night.

_-------_

**A/n: He he he, will Erik's plan succeed? You will have to wait till next time I'm afraid! I'm not giving anything away but if you're into a bit of kinky steamyness, its not far away...**

**Please review if you want more!**


	8. You'll Give Your Love To Me

**A/n: Well here it is, the long awaited update. Thank you all so much for being patient (waytoointoerik this is for you!) and for you kind words in your reviews. This chapter is my first attempt at smut so be nice.. and also, I wont deny I had a little trouble with the female thoughts/feelings during the thing and I have never read erotica, so your comments would be much appreciated! For my WONDERFUL reviewers:**

**Waytoointoerik:** Thank you so much for your patience, and your kind words in the review section of your recent chapter. Makes me smile! Yes my Erik is dark and seductive, he is my role model at the moment! I think my conversation stuff in this chapter is okay, it was just real hard to do 'coz in my experiences, not much conversation was used in such times... Um, thank you so much for you support and look forward to seeing your name in my review list! By the way, I am sill loving Partnership of the Heart!

**sunshine23: **I hope you haven't done anything bad yet!... Here's the update! Yeah I hated ALW's Chistine with a passion...RAOUL OVER ERIK? ARGH! Ahem, yes so I wanted Erik's replacement Christine to be heaps better. I hope I have achieved that! Thanks for you ongoing support!

**karou-ken: **Yes Melody will be returning...with quite a vengance I think... oops can't be letting the secrets out now, can I? He he he.. Thank you for reading!

**Darklady5289: **Like it kinky eh? WellI hope this bit is up to standard! Don't worry, you'll find your tortured, lovesick, musical genious one day! Thank you for you wonderful ongoing support and I hope to see your name appearing again on my reviews screen!

**Pertie: **Wow I feel honoured to be reviewed by you! You are the one who seems to review all the really awesome stories, and I am stoked that mine's now one of them! Yay! Thank you for your patience, I have been having school exams for the past, wellages, so I have been all tied up, so to speak! Thank you for reading my story and hope to hear more from you!

**Right, story time...**

**Previously:**

The final thought that went through her mind before she became immersed in her character was of Erik, her angel, watching her from above in the catwalks, willing her to excel. She smiled, then thought quickly, _by god I will! _before opening her mouth to sing her first glorious note, the first of many on that fateful night.

_-------_

_8: You'll give your love to me, for love is blind-_

**A/n: This chapter is hot. Erik/Alyssa action. I'm putting XXX where it's most graphic, if its not your thing, skip it and come back when the next row of XXX's are. I will not tolerate abusive comments. Don't read it if you can't handle it, trust me… You have been warned!**

Alyssa could still hear the crowd applauding many minuets after the curtain was drawn and by the time she had maneuvered her way through the masses of admirers and suitors back to her room, had guessed that she had been congratulated by at least eighty percent of the people present.

As she slammed the door to her room, she leaned back against it listening to the shouting of her name and the young men fighting to take her to supper and smiled the biggest smile she could muster, wrapping her arms around herself in ultimate elation. She had done it; she had won the hearts of the audience and performed magnificently, no doubt gaining herself a place in many vocal roles to follow.

As the shouting died down and the crowds began to disperse, she left the door and walked to her bed, throwing herself upon it and shut her eyes, reminiscing over the past few hours. Her mind unconsciously went to Erik, and she imagined how proud he'd be of her. _Maybe I've earned another of his brilliant kisses_, she thought happily, rolling over onto her stomach and fingering the delicate silver bracelet he had given her, letting her fantasies unwind.

She suddenly cried out as the whalebone ribbing of the corset dug into her side and she grudgingly rose. Now roused from her happy thoughts, she wandered over to her wardrobe and reached for her white lace sleepwear, then stopped suddenly as she heard a soft click.

She stiffened, sensing another presence in the room and straightened from her leaning position, keeping her back turned towards where the sound came from, listening hard. After standing there for what seemed like eternity, she came to the conclusion that her mind was playing tricks on her and she relaxed, deciding to turn around to make sure.

A split second before she moved, a leather clad hand snaked around her waist and pulled her back against the owner, who immediately brushed her abundant hair away from her neck and planted a soft kiss there, causing her breath to catch in her throat. The intruder continued to nip delicately from Alyssa's collarbone to just under her jaw, and she felt her knees begin to weaken as soft warm breath caressed her skin.

She had almost lost herself when suddenly it stopped and she turned around in protest. Erik stood before her looking as magnificent as when she had last seen him, before the performance, and smirked slightly as he noticed her deep crimson cheeks and eyelids heavy with longing. Alyssa came to her senses and realized she was staring, much to Erik's amusement, and suddenly spoke. _"Do you have to creep up on me like that?"_

He smiled softly and chuckled, reaching behind her head and producing a red long stemmed rose with a black silk ribbon attached. He placed it in her hands as she gazed up at him awestricken, and answered _"Its second nature to me. I've had to do it for so long, it's just a habit that's hard to break."_

He trailed his fingertips down her bare arm and took her left hand in his, admiring his bracelet that hung from her wrist. _"Do you like it?"_ He asked quietly. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, _"Love it. Thank you." _He lifted her hand up and without breaking eye contact, kissed her knuckles softly.

_"Good." _He breathed as she blushed again. Still grasping her hand lightly, he lowered it and smiled mischievously. _"I want to take you somewhere, Alyssa" _He moved backwards, in effect leading her forwards yet she hesitated.

_"Where?"_ she asked, as she noticed they weren't heading in the direction of the door.

_"Oh, just a place. Think of it as a celebratory gift on your big night." _By now, Alyssa was so entranced that she couldn't say no. She had to have this man; she could not deny it to herself anymore.

_"Yes Erik." _She managed to whisper, and she saw his face light up. He led her towards the large mirror and opened it, gesturing her to enter. There was no stopping her now as she dropped the rose on her dresser beside the mirror and stepped through into darkness, hearing the mirror click shut behind her.

It was so dark that she couldn't tell if her eyes were open or shut, and she suddenly felt alone and afraid. _"Erik!"_ she called into the darkness. _"Erik!"_

Suddenly she felt him behind her and in one swift movement, scooped her up in his arms and began to carry her bridal style down the long tunnel that led to their destination. She felt so comfortable in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his warm chest.

She didn't see the smirk of arrogance that passed over his visible features as he felt her soft breathing on his skin, or the sudden lust that burned in his dark eyes.

He carried her for a long time, down many dark tunnels and flights of stairs until they reached a large portcullis which opened at the pull of a hidden lever and revealed a huge cave, lit by many hundreds of candles and with a large lake flowing slowly through one side. Erik set Alyssa down on the stone floor and she simply stared at the wondrous site before her.

The lake glistened in the candle light, and at the far end of the cavern stood a great organ atop a natural rock plateau, littered with papers which she guessed to be musical scores. All long the back wall were tall mirrors, some draped with heavy red velvet trimmed with gold tassels, some shattered, but all strangely identically framed. One shattered mirror had a faint light resonating from inside and she guessed it was an alternate exit. About fifteen feet from the organ was a desk, also littered with papers but these were of sketches and designs, and a small set of paints sat on a stool close to it.

To the extreme right of the grotto was a large arc, obviously leading to a separate room. Alyssa was suddenly plagued by curiosity as she wondered what the room held, and was relieved when Erik took her hand and began to lead her down the narrow path between the lake and the high stone wall to the left of the cave.

She stood in the middle of the room next to the desk and took in all she could, then stole a sideways glance through the large archway and noticed the end of a bed, but couldn't make out anything else in the darkness. _His bedroom_ she thought quickly, and felt a blush rise in her cheeks.

Erik sat down on the desk chair and pulled her down with him so she was sitting in his lap. He reclined back into the chair and smirked as she sat still upright, tense and unsure. He took off his gloves and threw them aside, then ran his fingertips down her spine, feeling her shiver. _"Come Alyssa, relax. Do you like my home?" _

She sighed and slowly reclined back onto him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. _"Yes it's beautiful."_ She whispered as he toyed with a lock of her long dark hair. He moved his lips to her ear and whispered back, _"Just like you."_

He felt her begin to tremble as he ran his fingertips tantalizingly lightly up her bare arms, drawing little circles on her shoulders then running them down again. He reached lower and stroked the tops of her thighs through the chiffon and spoke. _"I hear you are quite the story teller Alyssa. Would you tell me one?" _

She turned her head as best she could to look up at him. _"What would you like to hear?" _She asked, feeling a little strange at the question. He looked down at her and smirked slyly. _"Sweet seduction."_ He whispered. She gasped suddenly and felt herself begin to heat up.

The story told of a young girl who was seduced by her dream lover, though not in the usual way. It was graphic, and very heated. _How does he know that one? I made it up, _she though to herself. She suddenly realized he must have been listening in as he did so often, and began to understand his plan. He wanted to act out her story.

Still gently stroking her thighs he nipped her neck again and mock begged. _"Please."_ He whispered. Alyssa knew she couldn't stand much more of his divine torture and felt herself giving in, feeling emboldened by his gentle caress. _"Alright."_ She managed to murmur. She slowly rose out of his lap and stood two feet away with her back to him, tried in vain to compose herself, and began.

"_He moved towards her, discarding his shirt as he did so,"_

Sure enough, Alyssa heard the desk chair creak as Erik rose and the unmistakable sound of fabric falling to the floor. Her heart began to pound.

"_He kisses her neck, leaving a small mark. She melts at his touch. He begins to undress her, slowly."_

Alyssa felt his lips at her neck again and just as she had described, he kissed hard over her jugular vein, causing a blood red mark to rise. She began to find it hard to breathe as his hands moved over her. She swallowed hard and continued, playing along.

"_First, he unlaces her corset."_

She felt his hands go to the delicate black cords, pulling them through the small holes in the bodice. With one final tug it fell away, leaving her in her thin chemise. She could feel his hot breath on her back, now almost bare, and began to relax a little more. It's what she wanted. Yes.

"_Next, he removes her skirt."_

Erik did exactly what he was told without a sound, all she heard was his soft breathing and the soft swish of material as the belt on her chiffon skirt was undone and fell to the floor, leaving her in just her undergarments. Goosebumps began to rise on her skin as the cold air of the grotto brushed against her, even though she was burning inside. How much longer could she take?

"_Finally, he renders her naked."_

Erik knelt close behind her and dragged his fingertips down her legs, slowly shedding her of her stockings. Alyssa's knees nearly gave out underneath her as his breath caressed her upper thigh, the feeling unexplainably exquisite. Soon enough she was totally naked and Erik gazed upon his prize, still cool calm and collected.

"_They move to the bedroom."_

Erik quickly scooped Alyssa off her feet and headed for his room, and by this stage she was past the point of caring what happened. She was so delirious she hardly knew who she was anymore and he hadn't done a thing yet. He placed her on the enormous bed made of polished oak, and the feeling of cool red and black silk on her bare skin made her shiver with anticipation.

When Erik left her side to light more candles in the room, she took the chance to look around. The floors were stone as with the rest of the place, but deerskin lined the area around the bed, creating a moat of soft furs. A few papers littered the floor near the entrance and a large mirror draped with a red velvet curtain stood in the corner, gathering dust. She couldn't guess why he had so many mirrors, and made a mental note to ask him.

He turned back to her and crawled up the bed towards her. She went to continue the story but he stopped her and smirked mischievously. _"Hush now, I know the rest."_ He murmured, and lowered his lips to meet her swollen ones, ever so softly nipping them, teasing her. He knelt over her hips and deepened the kiss much to Alyssa's relief, pushing his tongue into her mouth which she allowed without protest.

As she began to lose herself again she wrapped her arms around his neck, only to have him pull back and smirk down at her. _"Patience is more than a virtue Miss Latrelle." _She groaned as he lifted himself to kneel above her once more and pulled five black silk ties out of nowhere.

He got off the bed and walked slowly to her right side, taking her arm and gently tying her wrist to the bedpost. Alyssa looked from the binding to Erik then back to the binding, and tested the knot. Within a few minutes, she realized there was no escape. As he did the same to her other wrist and her two ankles, she pondered her situation.

She was about to give herself up to this man who she knew she wanted, yet she couldn't help but feel nervous. She guessed it was because it was her first time, and because he was going about it in a strange way. She shrugged it off and returned her thoughts to the present realizing she was tied spread across the bed, her stomach doing flips as he approached her once more and knelt over her again, relishing in the power he now had over her.

He ran the black silk over her breasts, achieving a small moan from Alyssa before placing it over her eyes and tying it tightly so she couldn't see. Her heart was pounding so heard she was sure he could hear it and she practically begged him to end her torment. _"Erik I don't know how much longer I can take."_ She whispered, but all he did was chuckle and move down the bed to kneel between her legs, now trembling with anticipation.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

He reached up and gently untangled the rose from behind her ear which she wore in the performance then kissed her deeply once more, resting his hips on hers. She stifled a gasp as she felt the effects she was having on him pressed against her inner thigh and sighed quietly. He rose once again and propped himself up on one elbow, then began to fondle her with the rose, caressing her neck and breasts, watching her chest begin to heave.

He dragged the rose lower, brushing it against the sides of her waist and over her abdomen, and she writhed beneath him, undistinguishable noises escaping her lips. Finally, he bought it to caress her inner thighs, and she couldn't take any more. _"Oh god Erik no more. Please no more. Stop teasing me, you can have me." _

Her loud pleas were final straw for Erik and he too realized he couldn't wait any longer. He quickly discarded his pants and the rose and positioned himself above her. She was panting as he lowered himself to meet her mouth, kissing her once more before he slid forward suddenly.

Alyssa broke their kiss to cry out in pain, her virginity broken, and it took all her willpower not to cry. She gritted her teeth as he began moving slowly, though before long the immense pain transformed into the most pleasurable feeling imaginable and she raised her hips as best she could to meet his with every thrust.

Her arms and legs strained on the silk bindings as their pace quickened, and Alyssa felt something growing inside her that she never had before. Erik on the other hand, knew exactly what it was. The unmistakable warmth that radiated through his thighs and abdomenmaking his toes curl and his muscles tense. They were nearing the end.

Alyssa felt as if she was going to burst as suddenly without warning, she lost control of her body, her muscles contracting and expanding all at once while she cried out Erik's name. The feeling of her inner muscles tightening around him and hearing her cries sent Erik over the edge, and with one final thrust he buried his face in her neck and growled, then collapsed on top of her, utterly spent.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When at last they could breathe again, Erik lifted himself out of her and undid the bindings that held her. She removed her blindfold and nestled closer to him as he settled on his back, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Placing one arm around her and the other wrist over his eyes in ultimate exhaustion, he allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. This was one of the few times his plans worked, and worked to perfection.

As he felt his angel drifting off to sleep, she mumbled something that he did not catch. _"What was that mon ange?" _he asked quietly. She nestled closer and answered, _"I said I love you Erik."_ It was at that point Erik felt his insides grow cold. When he was sure she was asleep, he whispered to her, _"No you don't angel, no you don't."_

-------

**A/n: Phew! Well, what do you think? Incase you're wondering, the Mary Sue-ness is rearly over. It wasn't ment to be so MS-ish, but it just is, for now. I needed to set the scene for things to come, so don't be dissapointed. If you recall reading in the summary that a twist is somewhere in the story, do not fear, it shall come around at the opporune moment. So, we are now reaching the climatic middle of the tale, so please, come along for the ride and make sure you comment, or it might just not end...**

**Your humble Author-**

**AngelxInxHell**


	9. Confrontations & Pillow Talk

**Hi all! Wow how long has it been? A month? I'm so very sorry for my taking ages to update but you know that little thing called life? Well it got in the way...as it usually does. Hopefully my next one after this wont take as long but I cant promise anything...please dont beat me! To my wonderful, excellent reviewers (oh how I love you all!)**

**Ram Jas: **Wow! I loved your review! So many compliments...gasp gasp! You brightened my day when I recieved it, and I hope I have enticed you to follow along to the end!

**darklady5289: **Hot wild sex ay? Well I do have some ideas planned, but if evil, dark Erik plus chains, one girl named Alyssa and long awaited, cruel sex is a bit much, look away! Mwa ha ha! I'm so glad you area faithful reader, it makes me feel good knowing that!

**Yay-anonymous pple can review: **I dont think I will stop writing any more, I love the story too much! Yes I do look at my hit count, but its just not the same! Thank you so much for reviewing!

**Sunshine23: **Ah! The twist is nigh! Well...maybe a few chepters away but still! I'm glad you liked by steamy scene, its my first and by the sounds of things, I did ok! Thanks for following along, you are one of my faithfuls!

**Pertie: **Oh my god! I read your review and instantly said...she's got it. What you said (I wont repeat coz other people may not have caught on yet) is spot on! My last line sort of just came out on impulse, I hadn't thought ahead but it kinda just fitted and created a new twist..I am so glad you like it!

**Waytoointoerik: **HERE'S YOUR UPDATE! Dont hurt me! Here it is! I only hope it was worth waiting for...I am glad you liked my sex bit, seeing as you are a great sex writer, it makes me feel better about the quality. P.s: I am still loving Partnership of the heart! So GooD! THank you for you constant support!

**Now without any further adoooooo...here's the story!**

**Previously:**

As he felt his angel drifting off to sleep, she mumbled something into his chest that he did not catch. _"What was that mon ange?" _he asked quietly.

She nestled closer and answered, _"I said I think I love you Erik."_ It was at that point Erik felt his insides grow cold; realizing one part of his plan had worked a little too well. When he was sure she was asleep, he whispered to her, _"No you don't angel, no you don't."_

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**A/n: Mwa hahahahahaha I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I could just imagine it happening! Hope you enjoy…**

_9: Confrontations and pillow talk-_

Melody Giry lay awake in her bed as she had done a lot recently, surrounded by the soft snores of the other ballet girls and her own confused thoughts.

It had been weeks, maybe months since she had last slept with Erik, and he still hadn't corresponded with her as he usually did. No notes, no messages through her mother, nothing.

She had tried forgetting about it, telling herself that he was a busy man and that she was only there to help him, but each time she was left feeling used and disappointed, and her worst nightmare would crawl from the depths of her mind; perhaps he had found someone else.

She sat up slowly in the dark, feeling hot tears beginning to form behind her eyes and crept out of the room, deciding a walk might clear her turbulent thoughts. _He's not obligated to me,_ she thought sadly. _But why does he have to toy with me so? I do have feelings. _Wiping a stray tear off her cheek, she left her dorm and crept into the darkness.

She padded quietly along the polished floorboards in her bed socks, traveling aimlessly and shivering slightly as the draft through the large hallway wrapped itself around her shoulders like a heavy blanket and kept her thoughts bleak. _It's not his fault, of course he mustn't know what feelings are, he lost them long ago, and you know that. No wonder maman warned me so often against him, if only I had listened!_

She raised her puffy eyes to the gas lamp burning above her and realized she had made her way to the private rooms. As she turned quickly to leave the 'forbidden' territory, she noticed that the door to room 13, Alyssa's room, was slightly ajar and leaking feeble candlelight into the dim hallway.

Without thinking, Melody moved silently towards the door and opened it wider, the hinges creaking softly as she did. After a quick check, she noted the room was empty and slipped inside, closing the door firmly behind her and thinking instantly about how much trouble she could get Alyssa into for straying at night.

Melody cast her eyes around the large room, feeling jealously rise in great torrents within her as she gazed at all the luxuries bestowed on such an unworthy wench.

She passed her hand over the soft quilt on the double bed, opened the wardrobe and admired the beautiful dresses hanging there. She delicately touched the many perfume and stage makeup bottles all of the highest quality, and lastly, made her way towards the enormous ornate mirror at the end of the room. She watched her reflection moving silently closer until she could reach out and unite herself with it, placing a hand on the clean glass so that the two Melody's were connected.

She looked into the eyes of her own reflection and saw the sadness there, and wondered if it was that plain for everyone else to see. She turned away sharply, dragging her hand across the mirror and jumped back suddenly as it slid open a little way. With her brows knitted in curiosity, she slipped through the mirror and pulled it shut behind her.

She was at once immersed in total blackness and, cursing herself for forgetting a candle, began making her way down the tunnel using her hands as a guide. After about ten steps, she stopped suddenly as she realized she was no doubt heading towards Erik's lair.

She knew the way down through the main cellars, and guessed there were more entrances all throughout the Academy, this being one of them. Confusion struck her as she wondered why an entrance was behind Alyssa's mirror, and she made her way back towards it to confirm her growing suspicion.

When she found the glass again, she pressed her face to it and sure enough, could just see into the dimly lit dressing room. _"Oh please no…" _She whispered brokenly. Surely Erik wasn't seeing _her! _As she made up her mind to leave or to continue exploring, she heard something which made her feel physically sick.

Taking a few steps into the gloom listening hard for what she knew was there, she let new tears flow freely down her already tearstained cheek. It was the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking. Before she had a chance to decide who it was, Erik's distinctive voice rang out distantly, and although it was just within Melody's earshot, she knew without thinking what had been shouted. Alyssa.

Melody staggered backwards, her knees giving way beneath her as she crashed against the cold stone. She wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed openly, not caring if she was heard.

So her worst fears were true, he was with someone else, and that someone else happened to be her enemy. After what seemed like eternity, she stopped crying and was quiet, and feeling completely numb and broken, stood on shaky legs and made her way back to her own dorm, making sure she left everything exactly as she found it.

As she reached her bed and fell into it, she suddenly felt angrier than she had in all her life. This meant war.

-

Erik sat at his cluttered desk alone trying in vain to compose, but the nights events were clouding his usually clear musical thoughts. He didn't allow himself to wake with his new piece of flesh, as the thought of morning-after pillow talk made him cringe. Melody had been terrible with that the first few times and he had gotten into the habit of getting up early to avoid it.

After numerous failed composing attempts, he threw down his quill in frustration and reclined in his desk chair, running his hand through his tousled hair and went over what was causing him so much angst.

The courtship had gone as planned; she had succumbed to the power of her attraction to him and allowed him to bring her down here. No troubles there. The seduction had been better than he had imagined, so no problems arose there either.

He smiled to himself briefly at the recollections, and realized with a start that the mere thoughts were arousing. He snapped out of his erotic daydream and furrowed his brow in confusion. What was the quandary then? The sudden remembrance hit him like a punch in the gut, the five words that Alyssa had mumbled before sleep overtook her. _I think I love you._

Erik hung his head in his hands and groaned. _Of course you fool! How could you forget? She said she loves you, and probably assumes you love her. Only you don't, do you? No. She is just a distraction as far as you're concerned. Just a distraction, just a distraction… O lord! _

His mind began its battle against itself as it usually did, with the rational side voicing its opinion before the spiteful side. He listened to the comparably sane thoughts that came first, thinking them through before waiting patiently for what he knew would come. _How will you break it to her eh? Like you usually do I suppose, go right out and say it. Let you feelings out Erik. 'Alyssa I don't love you, I'm only using you.' There something like that, isn't it? Just like with Chantelle, only reversed. You remember what she did, don't you?_ Erik gritted his teeth at the cutting remarks conjured by his own mind._ At least she heard you out, watched you cry like an infant. I doubt Alyssa will do the same, seeing as she has those things, oh what would you call them? Feelings, perhaps? _

He suddenly and without warning stood sharply, sending the desk chair crashing out behind him.Aware of the tremendous emotions welling inside his core, he glanced around quickly in search of an outlet to vent his rage and finding nothing, roared into the silence of the grotto, slamming his fists into the hard wood of the desk, hearing the polished oak splinter under the force.

With his voice still echoing through the stone caverns, he snatched the nearest piece of paper, scribbled an almost ineligible note to Alyssa, snatched his cloak off the hanging pegs and stormed out in the direction of the Academy cellars, leaving a small portion of his fury lingering in the cold air.

-

Alyssa woke to the sudden sound of wood splitting and her angel's voice booming around the cavern. As she went to rise from the large silk clad bed, curiosity and concern beginning to surface, she heard the door slam at the top of the stairs from whence they came last night and, feeling the chill of the grotto air on her bare skin, decided to slip back between the soft linen and wait for his return to ask what was wrong.

Making herself comfortable once more, she pondered over the previous evenings events, smiling as she felt a small blush break out on her cheeks. She loved Erik's commanding nature, and the immense power she felt coursing through her when she was near him.

The power that she knew he had over her both frightened and excited her, and every time she was without him, she felt less than whole. He was her missing link, the final piece of her puzzle. In her mind they were made for one another, _even anatomically_, she thought with a smile.

_"Oh Erik…"_ she sighed happily as she buried her face into his silken pillow, inhaling his sweet aroma that was uniquely Erik. She thought again back to lovemaking and giggled into the pillow, feeling the sudden urge to want to do it again. Never in her wildest dreams had it been so good, putting to shame all the stories she had told. _Yes, _she thought with a smirk, _I could definitely get used to this…_

As she rolled over to get some cool air on her now burning face, she heard the cellar door open again, and the unmistakable swish of fabric across the stone floor.

Giggling slightly, she moved into the centre of the bed and sat up, pooling all the silken sheets around her bare form and waited for him in anticipation. Without warning the door opened and Erik strode in, the familiar smirk plastered across the visible half of his face. _How does he walk so silently?_ She thought as he seemingly floated towards her without a sound.

After tossing his cloak to the side, he mounted the bed and to Alyssa's surprise, shoved her backwards into the pillows behind her and propped himself on top of her in one fluid movement, still smirking down at her.

She giggled as he bent to kiss her passionately, then lifted his head an inch to growl a low 'good morning' into her swollen lips. He met them again, exploring her warm mouth with his tongue, then held her hips between his knees and flipped them over so she was on top, never breaking the kiss.

She sat up once they needed air, and straddling his hips giggled a 'good morning' back as he ever so gently ghosted his gloved fingers up her bare sides. Before she had a chance to lose herself again to his touch, a thought suddenly struck her and she grabbed his shoulders fiercely.

_"Erik what time is it?"_ She asked urgently. He just smiled and twisted a hand in her dark hair, attempting to bring her back down into a kiss.

_"Time for me to make love to you again."_ He growled as she pulled back up against him.

_"No Erik this is serious."_ He met her gaze and sighed dejectedly.

_"Quarter past nine in the morning, mon ange. Why?"_ Alyssa swore suddenly and leapt off Erik's lap, then began a search for her discarded clothing. Erik sat up and stared at her in confusion. Was she that eager to leave him already?

As she hurriedly yanked her skirt on, she half shouted, _"You of all people should know that breakfast starts at nine! If I'm late, I'll be interrogated, and I don't really feel like that right now, ok?"_ He nodded in understanding and rose to help her with her corset, which she was struggling with.

Once she was dressed, she turned to him again, kissed him deeply and whispered, _"I'll be back as soon possible." _And with that, flew to the cellar door in a flurry of chiffon skirts and was gone in seconds, leaving Erik alone in the darkness.

Alyssa raced up the stone passageway towards the sleeping dorms as fast as she could, praying that she would not trip on some unseen obstacle and, once she reached the final door to the outside, stopped to catch her ragged breath.

Placing one ear to the wooden door, she noted that the place sounded deserted and slowly turned the handle. Taking a quick glance through the doorway, she found the hallway to be empty and slipped through, shutting the door behind her and hurrying to the dining hall.

Without warning, a small hand grabbed her wrist hard and she stopped dead in her tracks, turning slowly to meet the icy blue tearstained eyes of her captor, Melody Giry. Alyssa almost laughed aloud as she yanked her hand out of Melody's grasp, breathing a sigh of relief that it was her and not her mother.

_"What do you want missy?"_ Alyssa snapped at the smaller blonde. The next action was totally unexpected by Alyssa as Melody slapped her fiercely square across the cheek, leaving a perfect handprint on the skin.

_"You bitch!" _She shrieked in her high pitched voice, a hint of hoarseness making its way through from the wailing the night before. She slapped Alyssa again on the opposite cheek, with enough force to send her stumbling backwards against the wall.

Alyssa raised her hands to shield her face from the next blow she could see coming and cried out, _"What the hell is wrong with you!"_ Melody was sobbing uncontrollably before her now, her fists raised ready to strike.

The sight before Alyssa was frightening; the little weak blonde she knew had totally transformed, her usually immaculate golden locks tousled and strewn about her face, her red rimmed eyes leaking mascara down her white porcelain cheeks, the knuckles on her raised fists glowing red raw as if she had been punching stone.

_"Why did you take him from me?" _she cried brokenly, _"You stupid whore! He was mine!"_ Alyssa shrank back against the wall as Melody approached her, swinging punches haphazardly at her, and she cried out as she was caught on the side of the jaw, the forehead, the nose and in the centre of the chest.

With the wind knocked out of her she sank to her knees and watched as blood began to trickle from her nose and splash on the polished floorboards. As she gasped for air, Melody twisted her hand in Alyssa's hair and yanked her head back, eliciting a small cry. _"Why?"_ she hissed into Alyssa's bloodstained face.

Looking up through teary eyes, Alyssa managed to mouth the word 'what', only to be rewarded with another full force slap in the face. _"Erik!"_ Melody screamed the name into Alyssa's face and she began to piece the puzzle together.

_Erik must have previously been with Melody and now she was jealous because she had found out our secret, but how? I haven't spoken to anyone yet, and Erik…_ She remembered his disappearance earlier that morning and froze, _surely not…_Melody bought her back to reality with a punch upside the head and dropped her hair, causing her to fall on her face.

"_If you ever see him again, you won't live to regret it, slut."_ Melody hissed, and with one last kick to the stomach, left Alyssa lying in the hallway, passed out and bleeding.

-

About an hour after Alyssa had left, Erik had decided he would surface to watch her dance to kill time. Upon reaching the catwalks above the main stage and finding Alyssa missing, he began to worry.

He also noticed that Melody was as white as a sheet and had her hands bandaged, but dismissed it without a second thought and went about finding Madame Giry to get some answers. He managed to make his way behind the large curtain to the extreme left of the stage and caught her attention in his usual way, clamping his hand over her mouth and quickly dragging her behind the curtain before anyone noticed.

He turned her sharply to face him and glared down at her frightened form. _"Where's Alyssa?"_ he hissed at her as she removed herself from his vice-like grip. _"How should I know? You are the great overseer, or have you given up stalking?"_

Erik raised his fist to strike the older woman, then lowered it again as he wisely changed his mind. _"Do not be smart with me Madame. Did she not arrive for morning routines?"_

Giry shook her head tiredly, and sighed as she met his anxious gaze. _"No monsieur, I did not even see her at breakfast. I thought she was with you seeing as she was absent from her room last night."_ Erik visibly went paler with each new sentence, and made up his plan of action.

_"That is none of your concern. I have to find her."_ With that and a swirl of a dark cloak, he was gone, leaving Giry to go back to class. He searched the Academy high and low, finding only one possible sign she was there; a small pool of blood near the cellar door, but even that was highly unlikely.

Almost out of his mind with worry, he went through the cellar door and started making his way back to his lair only to find her sprawled a few meters down the dark hallway.

Gasping suddenly, he knelt beside her and checked her vital signs. As he laid his hands on her, she awoke from her unconscious spell and began sobbing, and it seemed to Erik like she was trying to communicate something to him.

He noticed the trail of blood from her nose and visible bruising on her face and felt light headed. Yes he may have been a murderer, but seeing Alyssa in this state made him feel ill. Once she had settled a little, he scooped her up gently and began carrying her back to the grotto where he would find out who committed this crime.

Once they reached the cavern, Erik drew Alyssa a bath and tended to her wounds, being careful not to show too much emotion to draw her in more than she already was, and began to comprehend what had happened.

Melody had attacked Alyssa over him, and from what Alyssa had told Erik, she had been crazy. Alyssa had also told Erik of the threat Melody had shot at her between punches and decided, much to Alyssa's disappointment, that he would take the situation into his own hands.

He placed Alyssa gently into bed and told her to rest, she would be out of action for a few days and he wanted her to heal as soon as possible for multiple reasons, and then went to his desk to plan out this mess.

Alyssa would stay down there with him until some sort of event came about that required her to sleep up above and would attend her normal classes unless he thought otherwise, and finally, Melody must be monitored when Alyssa was up there, he wasn't going to risk another such incident. He would write a note to Melody to tide her over for the time being, and if she tried another stunt, she would be the one regretting it.

He reclined in his chair and smirked to himself, feeling a great sense of power at the ability to control her life and, feeling rather pleased with himself, allowed a small laugh before getting up to make himself a scotch.

**Ooh sounds interesting doesn't it… hehehehehe it will be! Please review! I love you all and I need to know how I can better my writing for you! Go on...hit the button...hit it! HIT IT! **


	10. Of Happiness And Horror

**Oh my freakin god I am so sorry it has taken so long! Please don't punjab me! I'm not even going to bother with an excuse, b'cuz there's too many.. Anyway, I just got the hang of the private reply thingy so I'll get back to you awesome reviewers ASAP. I love you all! **

Story time...

**Previously: **He reclined in his chair and smirked to himself, feeling a great sense of power at the ability to control her life and, feeling rather pleased with himself, allowed a small laugh before getting up to make himself a scotch.

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**A/n: here's a bit on Alyssa's past, hopefully it's not too out of the blue. I tried to tie it in with something and am still in the editing process so bear with me please! I was told she needed some background from my reviewers, so yeah…**

_10: Of happiness and horror-_

_Alyssa's mother, Helena had always been a dancer, ever since she could remember. She was a sweet woman, kind and gentle though naive almost to the point of stupidity. _

_She would float around in a dream-like state most of the time, and if she was faced with anything troubling, she would just smile her faraway smile and pretend everything was perfect as she believed it was. _

_Felix, Alyssa's father, a great burly man who worked in the coal mines, was always her protector when she was a child. He would hoist his young Alyssa onto his strong shoulders and dance about, with her distant mother watching with a smile and tapping the beat. _

_The three together were a strong, happy family, and it seemed as if it would stay that way forever. But as she grew up, things began to change. _

_Hard times struck after the collapse and closure of the mines that her father worked in and, having no formal education, he found it impossible to obtain another. _

_The family was short on money and as dept began to shroud them, Felix took to the bottle, attempting to drown his sorrows in gallons of whisky a night. _

_He would blunder home like a maniac and wreak havoc, before passing out on the living room floor, praying that he didn't have to wake up the next day. _

_As this was a nightly ritual, the little money they had was being wasted on the selfish bastard, but no one had the courage to stand up to him. Helena, understanding that something had to be done, took the issue into her own hands and became a prostitute, ghosting around the city streets at night with the same remote look of intense calm in her eyes, though inside was turmoil. _

_Everything happened so fast for Alyssa, and all she could do was watch as her parents were slowly destroyed. She was on the verge of breaking point and began to consider moving away, to get as far away as possible from the terrors she faced. _

_Then came the night that made her decision easy. Her father had come home one night, drunken to oblivion, and tried to do what no father should ever do to his daughter. Her own father! One who she thought loved her platonically and unconditionally, but he had broken all the trust she had. _

_Alyssa had escaped her near rape but only just, thanks to the heavy hilt of her small silver sword that he had given her as a birthday present years before. _

_She fled blindly, dashing through the unfeeling city in the heavy rain, and came upon a large run-down dance school and boarding house, where she stayed for four years before coming to the 'Academy'._

Alyssa woke with a violent start, drenched in cold sweat with the memories of her childhood still fresh in her mind. Noticing the large, heavy arm draped lazily over her bare midsection, she leaped from the bed in a frightened flurry, praying that her father hadn't succeeded in his attempts.

She stood several meters from the bed, shivering and whimpering incomprehensively, and when the figure of her nightmare rose from the bed in alarm at her actions, she screamed, _"Don't come near me! How dare you! I hate you!" _

The figure stepped into the light and though her eyes were laced with tears, she realized it wasn't who she first thought but Erik, rushing towards her as her knees began to give way.

She crashed back to reality as he held her tightly in his arms, rocking her back and forth, whispering words of comfort in her ear. Once her breathing had settled and her nightmare was a distant blur, she raised her eyes to meet the concerned ones of her Erik, before wrapping her arms around his again in a warm embrace, receiving one back. _"What's wrong, mon ange?" _He whispered to her.

She straightened up and knelt before him, smiling weakly. _"Just a dream, that's all." _She pushed the memories to the farthest recesses of her mind before she looked at him again and laughed suddenly; realizing they were both very naked, and with him looking like someone had just died.

She stood, still giggling and slipped back into bed, snuggling down like nothing had happened, all the while Erik watching in bewilderment at her erratic emotions.

He sighed and shook his head, not even bothering to try and understand the workings of the female mind, and joined her between the silken sheets as if the past few minutes had been a concoction of his imagination.

As he spooned her, Erik thought over the past month and a half that they had been together, though no words could explain how wonderful it had been.

They had made love every day, more than once on several occasions which was a plus, but most of all he was finally beginning to feel free of Chantelle's chains.

The love part of the relationship still irked him though, but he was still managing to snuff out any feelings that began to grow. He was a brilliant actor, none could deny that, and these skills had been dragged out of him and put to use recently, though he still felt a little guilty.

He was never one to play with a young girl's heart, but when it came down to it, it seemed safer than to put himself out there in the open again to get trodden on.

After what seemed like eternity in silent thought, Erik turned over and checked the time on the small bedside clock they had invested in, (since Alyssa had been down there, she had become increasingly late to many appointments) and groaned as he realized it was time for her to leave again for morning classes.

Turning to her, he woke her gently and informed her of the time, only to receive a small sigh and a groan as she rose, instead of the usual bouncing, hurried exit, as if she would self destruct if she didn't rush up there to meet her friends and begin the lessons that she loved so much.

This worried him, as she had been acting strangely for some time now. _"Angel, are you alright?" _He questioned, watching as she dressed slowly into her uniform and winced as she laced her corset.

_"Yes, yes I'm fine."_ She answered, grimacing slightly. He knew her answer had been false, but decided to leave it until she returned in the evening.

_"Erik,"_ she asked suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts, _"How long have we been seeing each other?"_

He thought for a while before answering, _"Well I've watched you since you arrived here, that would make about five months."_ He knew that wasn't the answer she was after, but he was in an annoying mood.

_"You know that's not what I mean."_ She stated irritably, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him.

_"Fine, fine. Six weeks at most but who's counting?" _She furrowed her brow for a moment before she looked back to him and smiled.

_"Nobody."_ She answered as she bent to kiss him, still lying in bed. As she straightened up to leave, she winced slightly, but concealed it quickly before Erik noticed and fluttered towards the cellar door and was gone, leaving him to his troubled thoughts.

Alyssa had been feeling terrible all day. When Erik asked her if she was alright before she left that morning, all she had wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep the day away.

Now, after three sessions of ballet rehearsals in which she had to use all the willpower she possessed not to throw up, she sat in the dining hall between her chatting friends faced with a plate piled with a chunk of indistinguishable meat swimming in peas and carrots with the most painful stomach cramps she had ever experienced.

As another wave of pain washed over her, she groaned quietly and clutched at her stomach, catching the eye of Amelie. _"Lyss, you ok? You haven't eaten a thing."_

Alyssa looked back to her plate and was overcome by a sudden need to vomit. She stood quickly and ran to the bathrooms, before leaning over the nearest basin and emptying her stomach into it.

Her friends had followed after her hurried exit and walked in on her doubled over the basin, still heaving violently. After the bout had passed, she leaned against the wall breathing hard and met the concerned gazes of her friends.

"_See? I'm fine!" _she stated with mock cheer, before going weak at the knees and sliding down the wall into a sitting position.

"_No Lyss, you aren't. What's going on?"_ Alyssa raised her eyes to meet Amelie's in confusion, with her friend watching her like she knew something that Alyssa didn't.

"_Are the rumors true?" _Alyssa struggled to her feet and stared hard at Amelie, who took a timid step back.

"_What are you talking about?"_ she questioned. Amelie looked away ashamedly and Sarah stepped forward to whisper in Alyssa's ear.

"_Melody said you were sleeping with the Ghost…"_ she trailed off and looked into Alyssa's bewildered face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but what came next made her feel sick again.

"_You might be…you know..."_ she paused and glanced quickly in the direction on Alyssa's stomach, a small blush creeping into her plump cheeks.

"_W-with child.." _Sarah spluttered, before Alyssa promptly fainted.

-

Alyssa opened her eyes slowly to be met by Madame Giry's hard face glaring at her from a two inch distance. _"She's back with us."_ Giry confirmed emotionlessly, only to be swarmed with girls trying to get a better look at the 'Ghost lover'.

After a few minutes of pushing and shoving, she had cleared the room and shut the heavy door firmly in an attempt to keep the young girl put to learn exactly what was going on, beforemoving back to Alyssa's bedside to start the interrogation, which was long overdue.

Alyssa quickly sat up and made to leave but seeing the madam's actions, sighed loudly in defeat and flopped back down on the pillows again, waiting for the questioning to start.

_" How long have you felt unwell?" _the older woman began, her tone of voice somewhat monotonos yet still highlighted by the distinctive heavy French accent. Alyssa thought for a while, her brow furrowed a little, silently counting the days to achieve an answer.

_"Three days? Yes, I think...Three or four." _she stated, recieving a small nod from Mme. Giry.

_"Do you find it's usually stomache pains accompanied by nausea and dizziness?" _this time it was Alyssa who nodded, and without realising, gingerly touched her abdomen, which Mme. Giry took note of in growing suspicion.

She suddenly decided that this issue had to be gotten to the bottom of, and quickly. _"Do you menstruate?" _

The bold question took Alyssa off guard and made her blush, touching on a topic which was, to her, quite personal. Without meeting the madam's gaze, she shyly nodded and understood where she was taking this interrogation, the realisation making her want to be sick on the spot.

_"When are you due?" _Again Alyssa blushed and opened her mouth to answer, but shut it again and shrugged her shoulders stiffly. Mme. Giry was beginning to lose patience and decided on what would be the last question.

_" How long ago did you first sleep with him?" _Alyssa shot a shocked expression at the older woman sitting on the bedside, and decided she'd had enough.

She hurredlystood on shaky legs and made her way slowly to the door, with Giry making no attempt to stop her.Once she had reached the door and opened it, she heard Giry state matter-of-factly, _"You cant run from it. Once you stop denying, the easier it will be for you...for both of you."_

Alyssa stopped for a second, gathered her thoughts before glaring at the tired looking Madam angrily. _"You just assume everything, dont you! Keep out of my life, Erik's too." _

She slipped out the door and shut it firmly, making Giry wince before she rose slowly and rubbed her aching back, cursing herself for becoming involved. It was not something she wanted, nor had an obligation to.

Alyssa was just another ballet whore, and Erik was just another desperate man, both the likes of which she had seen many a time before. Giry shook her head and sighed, as if attempting to shake the past few minutes from her mind and muttered, _"Damn_ _juveniles."_ Before going to the sideboard and pouring herself a whiskey.

As Alyssa made her way down to the grotto, she concentrated on acting as normal as possible, trying in vain to ignore the stabbing pains assaulting her abdomen.

She entered through the cellar door and was immediately met by Erik, who so happened to be on his way out to find her as she was quite late. He noted her pale complexion and ushered her to sit down and explain, but she simply told him that she had been feeling a little unwell for the past week and to think nothing of it, before excusing herself and heading straight to bed.

Doing as she said and thinking nothing of it, Erik seated himself at the concert grand and played the first thing that his fingers would, immersing himself in the sound that he created.

All too soon the piece was over and he sat in silence, pondering the issue of Alyssa, which he noticed he'd been doing a lot lately. She hadn't been her normal promiscuous self lately, which was starting to get bothersome, and the way she had acted that morning was quite strange.

He made the decision to find out exactly what was going on and rose from the organ, and made his way quietly to their bedroom. He found her awake, writhing beneath the tangled silken sheets with small beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

She stopped moving when she heard him enter the room but it fooled no one. _"Alyssa, what's going on? Do you need a doctor?" _She shook her head in the negative and rolled over again, trying to find a comfortable position without success, the stabbing pains becoming more frequent and agonizing.

_"Angel-"_ he started before she cut him off.

_"I said I'm fine, really. Please stop worrying, you're worse than Giry!"_ He raised his eyebrows at the last remark, and she instantly regretted saying it.

Now he would go and ask her about it and find out – what? There was nothing to tell. She had thrown up and fainted, so what's new?

Erik sighed in defeat and undressed, before climbing into bed with her and falling quickly into the dark void of sleep. Unknown to him, was that Alyssa slept very little, kept awake through the dead hours of the night by the continuous onslaught of pain.

-

Morning finally came for Alyssa who had been watching the clock for the past six hours, listening to Erik's soft snoring and trying to remain conscious through the excruciating bouts that wracked her body.

Deciding that she could wait no longer, she rose quietly, being careful not to wake Erik and began dressing herself, stopping suddenly when she noticed blood on her nightdress.

After further inspection she realized it must be her monthly course, and linked all the previous symptoms she had had over the past week to be because of that. Feeling relieved that it wasn't what she had first thought, pregnancy, she made up a linen pad and finished dressing herself, before slipping out as quietly as her drained, aching body would allow.

It was during the end of her first routine when it happened. Everyone in the group had noticed her stilted steps, her pained movements and suddenly without warning, she stopped in mid-chasé and doubled over, crying out once before her world went black.

Giry stopped the class immediately and barked orders at Amelie and Sarah to watch over the unconscious Alyssa, before disappearing into the shadows in search of Erik. This had gone on long enough.

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**Em, did you see my peas and carrots? I put them in! YAY go me! Ahem, yeah tell me what needs fixing ASAP so I can edit it and move on. Hope you like it! **

**Again, sorry for the wait! **

**As always, I love reviews, so do the right thing and spare two seconds of your rime telling me your thoughts.**

**Peace - Eric**


	11. Reality Hits

**A/n: Here's the latest. I think I got it here quicker than last time, didn't make you wait as long.**

**Please review! Its going to start getting good from here on in, so cookies and engouragement go along way! XD**

**Okies, time to end the latest cliffie:**

_11: Reality hits-_

"_Miscarriage?" _

"_Yes monsieur--"_

"_**Erik.**" _

"_Yes Monsieur Erik," _the doctor, a small white-haired man with a heavy German accent began with distaste after being barked at. _"She has lost quite a lot of blood during the ordeal. If she had have been seen earlier…" _he trailed off under Erik's fierce stare and attempted in vain to avert his eyes from the curious porcelain mask which was now facing him.

Erik, very aware of the staring each time he looked away, suddenly advanced on the little man who cowered back against the wall nearby and ripped off his mask, bringing the ragged flesh within an inch of the doctor's face.

_"You say you're a doctor," _he roared into the quivering form before him, _"Surely you must be accustomed to such horrors!" _Erik drew back and replaced his mask, all the while watching the paled, frightened doctor with such disgust that if it was directed at a rose, it would've withered in seconds.

Erik went back to pacing up and down the private quarters corridor as he had been doing for quite some time before his latest outburst, going over everything in his mind.

She had been carrying his child, now she was sick, perhaps dying because she had lost it.

_It's all your fault, _a voice in his mind began, _if you hadn't have gone and forced yourself upon her she'd never be in this predicament._ Erik turned sharply and slammed his fists into the hard stone wall of the corridor.

_"That's not true! She consented! She knew the risks!"_ Erik shouted into the silence, drawing the attention of the curious doctor, who stared at him like he was a lunatic, which he supposed he was in the sense of the word. Suddenly without warning, his mind started up again, questioning and answering so fast that he almost lost track.

_Did she consent? What with your inescapable seduction techniques it would have been quite impossible for her not to. You would've twisted her words somehow._

_That's a lie, she told me to take her! It was by her own will!_

_Fine, she may have consented, but what if she didn't know the risks? _

_Of course she would, she's not stupid._

_You don't know that, and let's face it; she can be quite vague at times. _

_Still, every maiden knows, don't they learn from stories they hear from friends, mothers, aunts? _

_What would you know? You've barely grasped human contact and you are trying to get me to believe that you know how women learn about conception. Wait, how do you know?_

_Ah! Of course! Books! They read books. They must. That's how I know, I read some medical journals I stole from a party of patrons who happened to be doctors._

_And just how would she get her hands on a medical journal? _

_Oh I don't know! _

_No, you don't. _

_Why am I talking to you?_

_Why are you talking to yourself is the question…_

Erik snapped out of his schizophrenia onslaught and shook his head, the reality of the situation dropping like an anvil on his shoulders. _Alyssa is dying. _

Cursing silently he paced in a small circle, ran a hand through his tousled black locks and returned his worried gaze to the doctor who was eyeing him almost amusedly. Suddenly Erik charged forward, a decision made in his mind. He had to see her, now.

"_Where is she?"_ he shouted at the doctor, who jumped slightly and ran in front of Erik to block the passage down the long hallway. Fuelled by rage, Erik picked up the little man by his collar and hissed the three words into his face.

"_Where is she?"_

"_Her-room…room-thir-teen…"_ the doctor spluttered as Erik's grip on his neck was tightened. Receiving the answer, Erik dumped the winded doctor like a rag-doll on the ground and stormed to the door marked 13, only to hear the wheezing man following him quickly and to once again block his path.

Erik, now enraged beyond comprehension, raised his fist to strike the doctor, who stood his ground with his hands on each side of the door frame and rasped, "_I am warning you once monsieur, you will not like what you see…"_

He trailed off as Erik lowered his fist and shoved him out of the way, before turning the knob and slowly entering Alyssa's room, only to be greeted with a sight that made him physically sick.

Piles of bloodied sheets lay strewn around the relatively small room, with two buckets in the darkened corner filled to the brim with water and sullied rags.

A maid was on hands and knees before him scrubbing hard to remove a dark stain that could only be blood from the off-white carpet, and another bustled past with an armload of linen, no doubt carrying the same appearance as the rest he'd seen.

The air was heavy with the coppery tang and as he passed his eyes around the room, he felt the unmistakable burn of bile rising in his throat.

Taking a faltering step forward, turned his horror-stricken gaze to Alyssa, lying atop fresh white sheets surrounded by a muslin curtain, her ghostly visage almost as pale as the comforter she slept upon.

A small choked sob escaped his lips as he approached the bed, his eyes never leaving her face, set with a surreal, peaceful smile which made his heart stop. He felt his chest constrict as he reached out to gingerly stroke her cheek, immediately recoiling as his quivering fingers touched the cool, deathly surface of her skin, and he began backing away, his tears burning a path down his exposed cheek.

The second he reached the door, he tore his gaze from the fallen angel before him and ran. He ran back to the safety of his world of unending night, to the comfort of the concert grand, to the emotionless stone walls of the place where he could punish himself for the heinous crime he had committed.

Once over the threshold of the lair, he slammed the heavy cellar door with all his strength and ran to the portcullis, pulling the lever to shut the world out. Howling with anguish he shut his stinging eyes and stumbled to his desk, collapsing upon it sending papers and manuscripts fluttering to the ground, his hate, regret, and rage burning a hole through his heart.

He opened his eyes slowly, still sobbing brokenly as the sound of something shattering could be heard. Looking down, he saw his mask in pieces on the stone floor where it had fallen from his tear-stained face and pushed himself of the desk, slowly turning towards the one uncovered mirror in the lair, the one Alyssa used to use.

He stood, his chest heaving with sobs of torture, staring at his hated reflection with such rage that for a brief second, it scared even himself, until he couldn't stand any more and cried out into the stone catacombs, before lunging at the desk again and tearing the drawer open.

There, just as he left it, lay his beautiful morphine, accompanied by the black silk tie and syringe. He hastily grabbed the glass-encased amphetamine and filled the syringe to overdose levels, before tying the black silk painfully tight around his bicep and waited. Due to his clean state for so long, it didn't take much time for athick vein to appear, and without thinking twice, jammed the needle into his arm and swiftly pushed the plunger, feeling the effect almost instantly due to his rapid heart rate sending it quickly into his tortured being.

Tossing the glass syringe to the ground, he turned his glazed eyes to the large lake that ran through the grotto and unaware of the sound of shattering glass behind him or the soft click of a door being open, charged headlong at the smooth water's surface and plunged in, feeling elation swell within him as the first lungful of icy water entered his body.

--A few minutes earlier--

Antoinette Giry pulled the solid mahogany door to her office to and locked it before beginning to make her way towards the private dorms to check on her now bedridden star pupil. As she walked, the gentle clicks of her shoes and cane the only sounds to be heard, she reflected on the absurdity of the recent happenings.

No doubt Erik had seduced the little harlot on the night of her performance, and had been sleeping with her ever since, it had been all just a matter of time really. Giry allowed herself a snigger at Alyssa's stupidity, _"She was supposed to be the wanton know-it-all,"_ Giry muttered,_ "look where it got her!"_

Reaching the door that led to her destination, she shook her head and reached out to turn the handle, but stopped suddenly as she heard shouting in the other room.

_"Where is she!"_

Giry gasped as she realized it was Erik and placed her ear to the wooden door, trying to hear the rest of the conversation. It went quiet for a few seconds, then she heard whoever was in there with him mumble something before a small thump and the sound of a door being thrown open could be heard. Then silence.

Giry resisted the temptation to open the door she was behind and pressed closer to it instead, but all she heard was the echoing hum of nothingness. She patiently waited for a few more minutes, before growing tired and reaching for the door handle once more.

As she turned it, the thumping of dress shoes being run down the wooden hallway could be heard, before a resounding slam of, no doubt, the cellar door. There was only one person who both wore dress shoes and entered the cellar door, and with a start, Giry flew through the door she had been hiding behind and tore after him, the fact that she had never _heard _him move about his Academy, let alone run like a lunatic worrying her immensely.

As she made her way down into the depths of unending night, the sound of broken sobs could be heard in the distance, and each time they reached her ears, a pang shot through her heart, and she found herself on the verge of tears for him as she reached the third cellar.

Still running, she made her way down the many flights of stairs in almost complete darkness, and when she stopped on the third flight to regain her breath, the sound of a heavy door being slammed reverberated through the darkness. This was enough to keep her going and she ran on, reaching the fourth cellar and continuing down until finally she came upon the large, metal plated door that led out into the underground lake.

She fell against it gasping for breath and tried to listen in the gloom for her anguished friend, but the door was too thick to hear anything through, and she let out a small worried sigh and leaned back against the door, deciding on her actions.

Suddenly a painful cry reached her ears and she whirled around to face the door again, took a deep breath an turned the large metal handle, opening the door just in time to see an unmasked Erik toss something made of glass to the floor, and run headlong into the lake, immediately disappearing from sight beneath the murky waters.

_"No Erik!"_ Giry cried as she rushed through the door and stood on the stone bank of the lake, watching in horror as only bubbles rose to the surface. Without thinking, she quickly ridded herself of her skirts and bodice and, in just her corset and undergarments, dove into the icy water after him.

She had always been a strong swimmer, but the freezing depths of the lake were making it exceedingly difficult, as pain like a thousand knives engulfed her body and made it hard for her to move. She swam down further and further, flailing her arms and legs to keep them from freezing and just incase she felt him floating nearby, as she was swimming blindly and was beginning to have strong hopeless thoughts of never finding him.

She changed direction, praying that she would find him soon as her lungs were beginning to burn from want of oxygen, and she didn't know how much longer her body could take.

Suddenly her right forearm connected with something soft that floated away, and she immediately lashed her arm out in search of it. Sure enough she felt it again and grabbed onto what she guessed was a wrist, then moved her hand to a bicep which had something curious tied tightly around it, and finally a torso, which she held onto for dear life and kicked hard to the surface.

She opened her eyes and saw a light flickering above causing her heart to leap, _we're almost there. _Twisting her hand into the fabric of her unconscious friend's shirt to ignore the searing pain in her lungs and giving a final powerful kick, their heads broke the waters surface and at last, Giry gasped for air and instinctively pushed Erik's face above the water before swimming them back to shore.

Using the last ounces of strength left in her weary body, she heaved him out of the icy depths and onto the stone bank, before climbing out herself and collapsing onto him, her chest heaving. Once her breathing was restored, she checked for his pulse and breathing and, finding nothing, immediately began trying to resuscitate him.

She tilted his head back before moving down and tearing his shirt open, exposing his perfectly sculpted chest and midsection. Antoinette felt her heart flutter as she drew a line down his collar bone with her left hand, and from the base of his ribs to his sternum with her right so they came together at a common point, over his heart.

She inwardly slapped herself for feeling such things at a time like this as she made a small mark on his chest with her nail so she wouldn't forget the placing, before clamping his nose with her thumb and forefinger and pressing her lips to his, filling his lungs with her breath.

She rose and fell again, exhaling into his open mouth, feeling the same shudder each time their lips connected. After four repeats, she pressed the palm of her right hand to the back of her left, entwined her fingers and pulled them back, before placing the heel of her joined hands onto the mark on his chest and pushed down rhythmically in time with her counting.

_"One, two, three, four, five…"_

She felt his chest begin to deflate and pushed on.

_"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten…"_

He lay unmoving still, his face set in a serine trance-like state, unawares of everything going on around him.

_"Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…"_

She stopped pumping and moved back to his mouth, once again clamping his nose and breathing for him. Each of the four times she came up to breathe, her eyes went to the unmasked side of his face, a spectacle she had never seen before.

Even after their many long years of friendship after she saved him, he had never allowed her to look upon the so called 'horrors' under the white mask. Gazing at it now, she wasn't filled with hate or disgust, just pity, pity for the man who could've had everything his heart desired.

To Antoinette, it wasn't anywhere near ashorrible as what she had heard. It was definitely noticeable, the slightly red, twisted flesh littered with raised welts spanning from his right ear to his nose, then from just above his hairline down to the right side of his lips, but didn't exactly fit the description of the so-called 'death's head'.

Quickly realizing that she was getting side-tracked, Antoinette resumed her place over his chest and began pumping again, counting to fifteen before moving to his mouth once more.

Suddenly, on her second breath, he began to cough violently and she immediately rolled him onto his side, letting his expel the water from his lungs. Once he had stopped coughing and his breathing had settled, she rolled him onto his back again and he opened his eyes glazed to her, staring in disbelief.

_"Y-you!"_ he stuttered, reaching up to catch her upper arm in a vice-like grip.

_"H-how…d-dare…you! I'm s-supposed… to b-be…dead!" _

He was shuddering violently now, his face contorted in rage, and Giry winced as the grip on her arm tightened.

_"I'm s-sup-posed to…be w-with…A-alyssa!"_ he managed to get out before tears began to cascade down his cheeks as he passed out again, his arm falling from Antoinette's to rest beside him.

She stared down at him in shock, unable to move. She had just saved his life, putting her life on the line in the process, and he didn't even have the decency to thank her.

She checked his vital signs once more and inspecting the glass vial he had thrown before trying to drown himself, decided he was in a drug induced coma and got up and gathered her clothing before storming out of the lair, not caring whether he died or not.

---------

**A/n: OOH Giry to the rescue! Go you old bat! Nah thats mean... XD**

**I hope I got the rescusitation things right, I was too lazy to research...**

**I really liked writing this chapter, and Erik's suicide attempt sorta came out of the blue. I was sitting there, typing away, when suddenly I said "Yes! Overdose and jump into the lake!" My twin sister just stared at me strangely and backedaway, saying "Uh Eric...I think its time you had a really good sleep..." LOL**

**She's an avid POTO hater...curse her soul...**

**Shout out to mon ange, Erin, for without you this chapter probably wouldn't have been. You have a beautiful, though very active imagination... I still love you though!**

**Thats all from me till next time-**

**Eric**


	12. Dreams & Mistaken Identities

**A/n: Well, bet you thought you'd have to wait another month, didn't you? Ha ha here it is! I'm on a roll... Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers, and my angel...I love you..**

**Story Time!**

_12: Dreams and Mistaken Identies:_

Erik walked slowly down a pure white corridor which slightly resembled that of the private dorms of his academy, the soft click of his dress shoes on the marble floors the only sound to be heard.

He felt light, almost like he was floating in a dream, and the illuminate white walls of the curious hallway were soft and slightly blurred, as if they were part of a fresh watercolor painting which he had accidentally fallen into and disturbed.

As he walked, the walls began to transform before him and in no time, he was surrounded by many hundreds of mirrors on each side, spanning the length of the hallway which seemed to have no end.

He stopped dead in his tracks and clamped his eyes shut, afraid to look upon his hated reflection which was no doubt replicating itself throughout the never ending corridor.

Suddenly a familiar scent filled the air, making his heart feel as though it would leap from his chest at a given moment, and he slowly opened his eyes, almost afraid to look upon what he knew was there.

Chantelle danced before him, her long chocolate unbound curls swaying and bouncing in time with her movements. Her full rosy lips smiled chastely as her dark eyes focused on him and glittered in merriment, her long white skirts floating about her ankles as if they were caught in a summer breeze, even though the air was completely still in the hallway.

She carried the same appearance as the white walls had done, slightly blurred and out of focus, though radiating a light that glowed around her from her delicate feet to her halo of soft tresses.

He opened his mouth to speak but to his surprise no words were heard, just the humming white noise which surrounded the pair and filled his head. She laughed soundlessly and began moving away from him, beckoning him to follow, which he did, though he felt like he had no control over his body, it was moving by itself as though it were being controlled by someone or something else.

Chantelle kept her eyes fixed on Erik, her gaze still glittering though now it seemed as if she knew something he didn't, and this was becoming quite unnerving for Erik, who continued to follow her down the hall of many mirrors, mesmerized by her laughing eyes and fluttering skirts.

She suddenly stopped and reached out for his hands, embracing them and pulling him closer to her as he felt their feet leave the ground. Startled, he looked down suddenly and found that they were suspended a few inches off the marble floor, floating slowly down the mirrored corridor.

He turned a puzzled gaze back to Chantelle but she merely laughed silently again, and reached up to remove his mask, before stroking his cheek tenderly. A pang of humiliation shot through Erik's being and he pushed her hand away roughly, covering the deformity which he knew was there, and looked into her deep eyes once more, finding the same glittering happiness as before.

Was she laughing at his misfortune? His face contorted in sudden rage and he opened his mouth to shout at her, before she leaned forward and caught his lips in a soft, surreal kiss.

Only once had he kissed her, just moments before she had left him for the boy. His rage swelled once again before his breath caught in his throat as her tongue slipped between his lips, and all the years he had yearned for her came crashing painfully back, his rage dissipating into longing. She was so sweet, so inviting, so warm, he couldn't understand why he had given up on her, why he hadn't fought harder to win her over, why he hadn't pursued her after she left him.

He caressed her tongue with his own, delving into her delicious heat before sucking on her bottom lip, eliciting a small sigh from her. As he broke the kiss to look into her dark dancing eyes, they began floating faster down the hallway, and continued to gather speed until their forms were mere blurs in the mirrors they were passing.

Surprise struck Erik once again as he noticed that they were nearing the end of the corridor at rapid pace, and he pulled Chantelle to him instinctively, preparing to crash through the huge mirror many feet high that marked the end of the hallway.

A split second before impact, the pair came to a neat sudden stop just inches from the mirror's smooth surface and after a second or two of disbelief, Erik let go of his old love and looked at her questioningly.

Ignoring his puzzled expression, she moved to float beside him and let him gaze upon his reflection in the great mirror, and she was sure she felt his heart stop. Where once was puckered flesh and discolored skin, a perfect replica of his unblemished left cheek glowed, his face now the perfect picture of beauty.

Tears sprung to his eyes as he raised his trembling hands to touch his flawless features, before turning his disbelieving gaze to Chantelle, still smiling happily as she had been doing the entire time, though her eyes still held a strange teasing look.

His heart swelled with happiness as she embraced him once more and kissed him delicately, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. She broke away this time and giggled mutely at his disappointed gaze before interlocking her arm with his and turning him away from the mirror, moving towards a heavy white marble door which he hadn't noticed, with a large gold thirteen bolted to it.

As their feet touched the ground again, Chantelle reached down and turned the golden door handle, beckoning Erik to enter before she followed him in and shut the door behind them, a resounding rumble echoing around the room which was in pitch blackness.

Taking a cautious step forward and squinting into the dark, he heard a sound from ahead of him before a blinding light filled the room, causing him to cry out silently and shield his eyes until they accustomed.

Before they had a chance, a chilling scream filled his ears, cutting the thick silence he had been suspended in like a knife and he immediately recognized it as Alyssa. Forcing his eyes open against the white hot light he saw her, naked and writhing on a bed of white sheets surrounded by a pool of blood.

By her head stood none other than the Vicomte D'Changy, a hideous smirk plastered across his almost feminine features and a small dagger poised above her throat. Erik turned to Chantelle standing behind him and searched for answers, only finding that same jeering gaze in her dark dancing eyes, before she gave a slight nod.

Erik cried out soundlessly as Alyssa gave a final scream before the Vicomte bought the dagger down across Alyssa's throat, cutting short her final breath. Erik felt physically sick at the sight that he had just witnessed and fell to his knees, painful silent sobs wracking his body as the light from the room began to fade.

As he looked up one last time, his eyes connected with the forms of the D'Changy's, embracing each other and kissing passionately, and the last feeling that passed through Erik was that of such intense rage that the world went black.

-

Erik awoke with a start covered in a fine mist of sweat and sat bolt upright, the images of his latest drug induced nightmare still fresh in his mind. He moaned brokenly as he saw the Vicomte slashing Alyssa's throat over and over again and buried his face in his hands.

_"It didn't happen…" _he spoke to the darkness, _"He can't have done it…" _

As another painful scream filled his mind he leapt from the bed, only to sink onto his hands and knees seconds later with a head spin. As his weight bore down on the palms of his hands, he winced as intense pain shot up his arms and he slowly began to stand again.

Once he had reached a slightly slumped full height, with head hung he inspected the site of the pain, his swollen arms from elbow to hand littered with many tiny pinpricks, some beginning to bleed after being disturbed.

Sighing sadly he dragged himself out of his bedroom and staggered towards his beloved organ, turning to face the one unbroken mirror in the entire grotto, the one he was saving for Alyssa when she returned.

He glared long and hard at the man staring back at him through the glass, his filthy white shirt with the sleeves torn from the shoulders, his once smart dark dress pants stained with his own blood and scuffed at the knees from many an anguished stumble in the darkness. His hair had grown in the past few weeks since Alyssa's illness and his suicide attempt, and fell tousled across his unmasked face now sprinkled with dark stubble.

Sighing heavily, he turned away, cursing himself for allowing his self respect to drop so severely after a lifetime of taking a great deal of care in his appearance.

_"How did it come to this?"_ he whispered to himself as a small silver tear slid down his cheek, _"how?"_

When he reached the concert grand he sat heavily on the stool and placed his fingers to the keys, and as he prepared to play the first chords that would flow forth, the voices in his head began.

_"You want to know how it came to this? She did it to you…" _Chantelle flashed before his eyes as he shut them, before Alyssa's pained scream from his most recent nightmare filled his mind._ "She did this to you…" _The voice continued, the images of Chantelle and the Vicomte, laughing, jeering, murdering his Alyssa swirling and overlapping before him. Erik shook his head violently as if trying to clear the mist of horror that clouded it. _"You cannot escape…" _the voice whispered, _"Unless…"_

"_LEAVE ME!" _Erik boomed, and as quickly as it had begun, he was left in the silence of his cavern, his fingers poised above the ivory keys. Heaving a sigh of relief, he lowered his fingers to begin one of his latest pieces, when he stopped sharply and stood, the force sending the stool crashing backwards.

With his breathing quickened in anger, Erik tested the keys once more andeach time his fingers made contact, fierce pain shot through his wrist due to the bodily abuse he had subjected himself to for the past weeks.

Erik lowered his hand to hang beside his thigh, a strange calm sweeping over him… _The deep breath before the storm…_Alyssa was dead, or if she wasn't she probably didn't want to see him again, Chantelle was still haunting him, and now his one escape from the cursed world had been taken from him by his own hand. It was the final straw.

Erik balled his hands into fists by his side and took several deep breaths, feeling the rage building in the pit of his stomach as it had done countless times before. He felt his eyes cloud over, and the familiar mist fill his tortured mind.

As he stood brewing in the complete silence, the final phase overtook him and his body began quivering uncontrollably, and seconds before he destroyed the closest object in range, he was interrupted by the sudden loud click of his cellar door. Raising his blazing eyes slowly, his gaze connected with that of a woman, a woman he knew all too well.

_"Oh look who's here…"_ the voice in his enraged mind began, _"The one who has you trapped…"_ Erik gritted his teeth and panted through them, creating a slight hiss with every inhale and exhale. _"What's the only way to gain freedom, Erik?"_ it questioned. Erik's eyes narrowed on the intruder before he whispered _"dispose ofthe captor."_

The world went silent as he approached his prey, the one woman who plagued him night and day. The one who caused his soul to destroy any last shards it had left. The one who killed his love. Chantelle.

He was upon the woman within a matter of strides and had her slender neck encircled with his long, powerful musicians fingers. The immense elation coursing through his veins at the thought of crushing the life out of her was almost paralyzing, and it wasn't until the blood pounding in his ears had settled enough to hear the shrill scream of his name did he loosen his grip.

She cried his name again and this time it broke through his senses, chilling him to his very core. He tore his hands from her neck and stared wide eyed at her as the fog began to clear from his sight. A young girl of seventeen with dead straight ebony locks stood before him gasping for breath, before looking up into his disbelieving face with fear stricken, tear stained eyes.

_"Alyssa!" _he choked out, still breathing heavily. _"Erik …" _she whispered, before taking a faltering step backwards and falling softly to her knees. Erik's heart broke for her as she shied away from him and collapsed, closing her eyes and still trying to regain her normal breathing.

He stepped closer and knealt, reaching out his hand to gently cup her cheek. To his surprise she leaned in to his touch and he moved closer again, watching her open her eyes and gaze upon his punctured wrist now millimeters from her face.

He dropped his arm as he realized that she had seen the mutilation and stood, shame and pain showing plainly on his features. Suddenly she forced herself up off the cold stone floor and lunged forward and cradled his arm against her body, her face the epitome of care.

He winced at her movement as she looked back into his sorrowful face, such love and concern radiating from her features that he thought his heart would break for a second time.

_"Erik…"_ she whispered, _"What…"_ he couldn't meet her gaze as he answered, _"I thought you had left me. It was my only escape, besides suicide which failed me…"_

Tears began streaming down Alyssa's face at his words and she cried out as she embraced him, clinging to his torn shirt for dear life. _"Never!"_ she cried, _"I would never leave you!" _

Erik wrapped his arms around her sobbing form and cried with her, his sadness, happiness and immense rage being poured out with his tears. As their sobs subsided, Alyssa took a step back to look upon him, and she suddenly realized he was missing his mask.

She carefully hid the shock of finally seeing the distorted flesh and finally understood why he was so insecure. Embracing him once more, she whispered into his chest, _"I love you Erik, no matter what. I will never leave." _

He understood her words as he had seen her subtle yet unchanging gaze, and still saw the care and love there as there was before. He broke their embrace to look down upon her once again, and dried her eyes with his thumb gently, watching the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile.

Her knees suddenly went weak and he caught her swiftly, turning a questioning gaze to her flushed features. _"I am fine,"_ she assured him, _"Just a little weak, that's all."_ Erik inwardly cursed himself, blaming himself for her spell. _If you hadn't almost killed her, she's just gotten well after your last curse for god's sake!_

Erik shook his head as he took her hand and led her to their bedroom, got her comfortable between the red and black silk and as he turned to leave, a small hand wrapped around his bicep, preventing him from moving. _"Erik…"_ she purred, _"stay…"_

It took every fiber of his being to stop him from falling into bed with her and cleansing his sins, instead he patted her hair and forced a smile. _"Rest."_ He whispered, before turning on his heel and closing the bedroom door quietly behind him.

Walking back out into the lair, Erik ran a hand through his filthy hair before making his way back over to the organ and picked up the fallen stool. Taking a seat, he thought long and hard.

He hadn't forgotten the onslaught of voices before she came back, _what's the only way to gain freedom, Erik? Dispose of the captor._ Coming to a decision, he leapt from the organ stool and ran to his desk, pulling out drawers and upturning used paper until he found a clean piece.

As the tip of the quill made first contact with the parchment, a small hiss escaped his clenched teeth from the pain coursing through his wrists, but such was his great need to begin his plans, the pain was forgotten a little more with each word.

A chain of events were now in motion, which could not be undone until the final phase was complete. The world was not big enough for the two in question, and Erik was never one to go down without a fight.

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**A/N: Well here we go folks, the climatic sequence is close at hand! The countdown is on to the end too.. this is the third last chapter before its over... (cries) so make it worth my while and REVIEW!**


	13. Plans and play

**A/N: Well I'm back.. again sorry for yet another wait, but I've been having some personal issues and haven't been able to sit down and write. I know, its shocking, but thats the way it goes and inspiration doesnt come easily to the saddened.. **

**Anyway, this chapter is the second smut installment, so beware the XXX. (Erik is a little rough so if its not your thing, you were warned..) Hope you enjoy, and as always, please leave your comments! **

_13: Plans and Play-_

Alyssa lay naked beneath the red and black silk sheets with her knees bought up against her stomach, her arms crossed, and a deep scowl plastered across her face. It had been two months since Erik had touched her, or even looked at her for that matter, and although she had assured him that she was ready for him again, he continued to sit at his godforsaken desk, scribbling away.

Some days he never moved, waking in the same seated position as he had fallen asleep in, then lunging for the nearest paper or map, muttering or cursing to himself. Each day the paper pile increased, mainly consisting of dates and times, floor plans of houses, certain itinerary, at least, this was what she had managed to glimpse before he would shoo her away.

He ventured out into the world above without warning during the day or night, and sometimes he would be gone for hours on end, returning occasionally triumphant or blatantly disappointed. Alyssa had an idea where he visited, but her knowledge failed touncover any answers, as his motive was unknown.

-

_Flashback: _

Alyssa crouched behind the wall separating their bedroom and the main open area of the grotto, watching Erik move silently around, preparing to leave on one of his increasingly frequent secret ventures. He gathered papers, writing instruments, his pocket-watch, and a small length of rope, all of which he placed in a fine leather briefcase before donning his trademark black cloak and hat, turning up his collar, and disappearing through the cellar door.

Once Alyssa was sure he was out of earshot, she began gathering her own supplies; a small slice of thick bread and an apple wrapped in a handkerchief, another of Erik's pocket-watches, and a small bottle of wine to keep her warm. Taking up a woolen shawl and her supplies which she slipped into a soft satchel, she left the cavern and made her way up and out, creeping through the Academy like a shadow.

When she reached the grand vestibule, she crept outside just in time to see Erik step up into a carriage that headed towards the country, and curiosity instantly plagued her. Nestling herself out of sight behind the large pillars that signaled the entrance, she prepared to watch the comings and goings of the Academy, waiting for Erik's return, as well as the precious information that the carriage driver held.

Glancing at her pocket-watch, she noted the time, 1:57pm, and reached for the wine she bought, the cold air of a Paris winter whistling around her, chilling her bones.

Time wore on, and before long her wine had run out, boredom had taken over, and she let her eyes close for a second, imagining all the things her Erik could be up to.

_He could be dealing drugs, _she thought, _or maybe working for some sort of secret cult…_More silly ideas filed her head, until she came across a more likely one, one that made her feel nauseated. _He could be seeing another woman…other women perhaps, there are many brothels close by…_

Feeling swiftly angry, she flung her eyes open and rubbed them harshly. Suddenly realizing she had been asleep, she quickly glanced at her pocket-watch, the face showing 5:21pm, and cursed silently, scanning her surroundings for anyone who resembled Erik.

Feeling enraged and disappointed at herself, she gathered her things to leave when suddenly Erik's carriage docked in the bays and he emerged quickly, hurrying into the Academy. Taking her chance, Alyssa slipped her satchel over her shoulder and raced towards the carriage, her muscles stiff from sitting in the frigid air for so long.

Reaching the coach before it pulled out, she caught the driver's attention and inquired breathlessly, _"That man, in the hat and cloak, where did you collect him?"_

The driver gazed quizzically at her, before shaking his head and replying through a thick French accent, _"I ehm not allowed to present customer whereabouts, mademoiselle."_ Not giving up, Alyssa fished in her satchel and retrieved Erik's pocket-watch, which she dangled by its fine silver chain towards the coachmen. _"This is yours if you just tell me!"_ she half shouted.

He looked down his nose at her, before snatching the silver watch from her quivering hands. _"I collected heem from ze D'Chagny Estate. 'E tell me 'e had business with ze Vicomte. I know no more."_ With that, he stowed his new watch in his breast pocket, before strapping his horses into a canter and disappearing into the bustling streets.

Alyssa shook her head, wondering why Erik would want business with the Vicomte, before making her way back into the warmth of the Academy.

_End flashback:_

_-_

His day and nighttime escapades bothered her, though nowhere near as much as the fact that she had not seen a scrap of a musical score within his paper pile, nor heard him play for as long as he had avoided her. There was something secretly transpiring, he was not himself, and Alyssa had had enough.

Giving a huff, she threw the covers off herself and slunk out of the enormous bed, then stood before the large ornate mirror and stretched her arms to the heavens. Letting them drop a little, she quickly brushed out her hair with her fingers and slipped a discarded rose behind her ear, something which she knew he loved.

She had managed to keep her dancers figure quite respectable, even though her dance class attandance had been limited due to her recovery period, and suspected with a smile that it had something to do with her and Erik's after-hours activities.

Satisfied with her naked reflection, she turned and made her way to the door as quietly as possible, before opening it upon her love, still hunched over his desk. Giving a small exasperated sigh and rolling her eyes, she crept toward him, her bare feet barely making a sound on the cold stone.

Stopping just inches from him, she rested her hands on his shoulders, feeling him instantly tense and cut short writing, before she lowered her lips to his ear and whispered, _"Look at me."_ When he did not comply, and feebly attempted to shrug off her hands, she lost her final shards of patience and stormed roughly to face him from the other side of the desk, lowering her head to level with his.

_"What is going on?"_ she hissed, her fierce breath slightly unsettling the dark hair strewn across his disheveled features. _"Don't you want me anymore?"_ She stood straight again, though her eyes never left his. _"Do you not find me sexy anymore?"_

Letting her hands travel down her abdomen, then part to gently stroke her thighs, she watched his eyes wander over her, drinking her in. As she raised her hands to cup her breasts he shut his eyes and looked away, a lost emotion playing for a second on his features and a small sigh escaping his lips.

Rubbing his tired eyes, he answered _"soon…soon enough…"_ before Alyssa stormed away, the red rose falling from behind her ear to silently hit the ground near Erik's feet. Dropping his hand from his face to retrieve it, he reclined in his chair and gazed at it. _She is trying harder_, he thought, _it's nearly time._

Turning his eyes downwards, he examined the effects the past few minutes had upon him and silently thanked the gods. It was not long now before the torture would be over and his hard work would be excellently rewarded.

Returning to his work, he leaned forward as far as his constricting trousers would allow and began adding the finishing touches to his latest masterpiece, heavy planning quickly chasing away Alyssa's undoing.

-

"_Alyssa!"_ Erik shouted as he carefully laid down his quill and gathered his final papers into a neat pile on the desk. When she did not answer, nor even stir from her whereabouts within the cavern, he reclined back into the soft leather desk chair and lit a cigarette, before shouting a second time only louder, his voice booming and echoing around the stone walls of his home.

_"ALYSSA!" _Awoken from her peaceful slumber, Alyssa rubbed her bleary eyes and crawled out of bed, before groggily straightening her twisted silk sleepwear and glancing at the small clock beside the bed, its face reading 2:25 am.

Sighing and shaking her head, she wondered what had possessed Erik to wake her at this hour, and decided it must be something important. _Perhaps he will show me what he has been planning, _she thought, suddenly becoming excited as she reached for the door handle, _or maybe he's finished and…_her train of thought was cut short and her breath hitched in her throat as she opened the door onto him.

He was facing her, relaxed in the large leather chair with his knees apart, his weight resting on his left arm bent at the elbow, lazily holding the cigarette to his lips, his right arm settled on the armrest. A seductive smirk graced his visible features and a raging fire burned in his eyes beneath the dark tousled hair which fell across them.

Alyssa found it hard to breathe suddenly as she gazed at him, the heat she very well knew beginning to rise within her and small beads of sweat breaking out on her chest. He was exciting her without moving a muscle, and his eyes, oh those eyes that could pierce the very soul, bore into her, making her feel lightheaded, as though she would faint at any given moment.

He chuckled suddenly; pushing his already evolved feelings for her deep beneath the many layers of built up lust within, and returned to his previous self, his favourite seductive facade taking shape. His eyes roamed over her and he watched, loving the fact that he could break her down so effortlessly, loving how she fell under his spell so easily.

Taking one last drag on his cigarette, he dropped it to the floor and exhaled the last of the smoke in his lungs in a curling stream, before crushing the glowing embers into the stone. Every movement was executed with such feline grace, it drove Alyssa crazy as she watched him, so fluid, so elegant. _"Did I wake you, angel?"_ he purred, watching her shiver at the sound of is voice.

"_N-no, well yes--"_

"_Relax…what's happened to you? Weren't you my little plaything?"_ he smiled, before rubbing his eyes and continuing. _"I do suppose it has been a long while. You have me to blame for that, lots of work had to be done…"_ he spoke to her like a child, his tone making her feel small, a feeling she hated.

_If he wants to play like that, fine… _she thought, before putting on her harlot façade and starting towards him. It fooled nobody though, and tonight was Erik's night whether she liked it or not. _"Not so fast angel,"_ he cooed, seeing through her mask. _"You will do as I command, or be left with nothing…and I know you don't want that…"_

He smirked as a hot blush surfaced on her cheeks, and she turned her eyes to the floor, half awaiting and half dreading her next command. Still watching her intently, he gave the first order. _"Strip."_ Without question, she began to unbutton the black silken night shirt she wore, letting it slip easily off her shoulders and down her arms, exposing her ample breasts and taut stomach.

The matching pants came next, fluttering down her legs to pool at her ankles, revealing trim thighs joined by a manicured dark triangle. Erik felt his body heat rising as he drank in her luscious figure, perfect curves and womanly embellishments, complemented with a fine sheen of sweat and crimson blush.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Come to me."_ He murmured, his trousers feeling as though they were shrinking as she stepped lightly towards him. Every toned muscle gliding beneath soft skin, every sway of her hips, the way her hair bounced and floated as if caught in a gentle breeze entranced him, to the point where he found it hard to breathe.

She came to a quiet halt just inches from him and gazed down, watching him watch her, before giving a small smile as her eyes passed over his lap, his reaction to her already obvious. _"You certainly are an amazing creature,"_ he said, clearly enjoying himself. _"I have missed you terribly."_

Alyssa watched as an emotion flitted across his features for a second, before he smirked up at her again and ordered, _"Kneel."_ Doing as she was told, she obediently knelt between his parted knees, gazing up into his haughty expression. He nodded to her, and she raised her trembling hands to unbutton his pants agonizingly slowly, taking care not to let her hands make contact with his aroused appendage.

If he wanted to order, she would tease. She could feel the heat rising from his skin as she undid the last button, and he sighed in relief as she released him from the constricting material that held him. He gazed down intently at her awaiting her next order, and when she lifted her head and met his gaze, flushed and excited, he whispered, _"Do it."_

Rising up as far as she could on her knees, she bought her hands up between his thighs and gently grasped his hardened shaft, hearing him groan softly as her cool skin met his burning. Taking a firm grasp and dragging upwards, she moved forward once more and slowly lowered her slightly parted lips to his head, leaving butterfly kisses and teasing him with her tongue.

She smiled as she heard his breathing become heavy, and bit by bit began engulfing more heated flesh, still working her hand back and forth. Erik leaned his head back and shut his eyes as insurmountable pleasure washed over him with every rise and fall of Alyssa's mouth, leaving his breathless and lightheaded.

He stifled a moan as she bought her head up, grazing him slightly with her teeth and instantly realized he wouldn't last if she kept up this divine torture. _"Alyssa…"_ he moaned softly, burning passion rising within him in torrents, _"Stand."_

She stopped her ministrations and looked up at him confusedly, before dropping her hands and rising to her feet. Panting now, Erik stood stiffly and shoved the desk chair out of the way, sending it toppling over, before tearing off his shirt and ridding himself of his trousers.

He turned to the desk and picked up his precious papers which he stowed in the drawer, before moving behind her and slipping his hands up her sides to fiercely cup her breasts, using his thumb and forefingers to assault her nipples. He began kissing and suckling her neck as he lowered his hands once more to graze fiery paths up her thighs.

Her breath was coming in short gasps, and once he was certain she was ready for him, he removed his hands and whispered hotlyin her ear, _"I've always wanted to do this…"_ Before she had a chance to protest, he shoved her forward so her body fell across the desk and roughly parted her legs, before taking her hips in a powerful grip and plunging into her, relishing as she cried out at the sudden pain.

He growled deep in his chest, feeling as though he were on fire as he thrust over and over, two months of abstinence being violently broken. Alyssa cried louder with each thrust, though from pain or pleasure she could not tell. Her fingernails dug into the sides of the desk to prevent her slipping forward, and her chest ached from the constant friction between her skin and the wood, but nothing surpassed the burning caused by Erik's relentless onslaught.

He thrust thrice more before finally reaching his release, marked by a resounding growl and the warmth that flooded Alyssa seconds later, helping her reach her peak. He released her hips and collapsed onto her panting heavily and drenched with sweat, every movement causing immense pain for Alyssa, biting her lips to suppress screams.

Before long Erik stood once again and removed himself from Alyssa's aching flesh, giving her a playful slap on the backside. _"I wont make you walk for the next few days, angel."_ He said with mock remorse, before chuckling softly, gathering his clothing, and heading to the bathroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pushing herself up off the desk slowly, she swore to herself never, under any circumstances, was he to go without for any amount of time, no matter the cost. Walking stiffly over to where she had discarded her sleepwear, she began dressing slowly, muttering curses to Erik who thankfully wouldn't hear her over the water filling the bathtub.

As she finished buttoning her nightshirt, a sudden thought crossed her mind and she acted quickly, tip toeing to Erik's desk as fast as her ravaged body would allow. After glancing at the closed bathroom door to make sure she wouldn't be caught, she carefully opened the drawer in which Erik had placed his papers and looked inside, seeing them a little bumped around from the desk's recent use but still there, waiting to be discovered.

Glancing around once more, she reached in and slowly brought them out, flicking through the pages until she found one that made her almost drop the pile. Tears sprung to her eyes as she quickly reordered the stack and put them back in the draw, shutting it tightly and backing away, shaking her head as if trying to erase what she had read.

She couldn't let him go through with his plans. She had to stop what was to transpire. It was suddenly time for Alyssa to do some secret planning of her own…

-------

**A/N: OOOH I love cliffies! What did she read? What's about to transpire? He he he guess you'll have to wait and see...**

**-Evil laughter- Bwa ha ha ha ha!**

**-choke- Ahem.. okay well tell me what you thought, okay? Cool.**

**Eric**


	14. Soul Stealing

**Told ya it'd be quick! Remember to review..keeps me going.. **

**By the way, thanks to all those who showed their concern, I was touched! **

_14: Soul Stealing-_

"_Rohan! Hurry dear or you'll be late! It's already a quarter to nine!" _

Chantelle stood at the base of the main large staircase of the D'Changy household waiting for her husband, who came rushing from the master bedroom laden with his briefcase, overcoat and top hat. _"I am sorry love, I should have been more prepared. Are you all set for today?" _Nodding, she straightened her husband's cravat and smoothed down his shoulder length blonde locks, watching as the young man's cheeks turned pink. _"What would I do without you?"_ he chuckled, before placing a light kiss on his wife's forehead and heading for the door, Chantelle following softly behind.

As he turned to wave goodbye once more, he noticed the worried expression set in his wife's eyes and placed down his things, before hurrying back to her and gently grasping her shoulders, his eyes seeking answers. _"Darling, are you alright?"_ he questioned softly, _"I don't have to attend this meeting if you don't wish me to."_ Shaking her head, Chantelle looked up at him and spoke softly, _"I just have a feeling. But you know me, it's probably nothing."_

The sound of horse's hooves on gravel met their ears as the Vicomte's coach arrived, and placing a chaste kiss on her lips, he quickly strode to the door, collected his things and boarded the carriage, waving happily as he departed. Chantelle dropped her hand as well as her smile, making her way into the grand sitting room. There was something not quite right about this day, she could feel it, but brushed it off all the same as she watched her husband's shiny black coach reach the end of the long drive and head off into the city.

-

Alyssa lay wide awake in bed curled up in Erik's arms, her stomach in knots. Today was the day that his heinous plan would unfold. In the three days since she had discovered his hidden motives, she had used every spare minute of her time to devise a way to counter them, a way to save the victims-to-be, though it hadn't been easy. Stealing glances at his finished work proved almost impossible, and she had hardly had any spare time to speak of, as Erik's appetite had returned and she found herself dancing to a minimal extent, sleeping or making love numerous times a day.

Her ideas were sketchy, and her timing had to be precise to avoid being caught red-handed, a thought that struck fear into her already frightened heart. Who knew what he would do to her if he found her intervening. She knew he was capable of terrible things, the act about to unfold showing just that. Suddenly feeling frightened in Erik's embrace, she carefully slipped out of bed as best she could without waking him and gathered her ballet uniform, happy to be returning to her dancing after so long. As she slowly dressed herself, her thoughts went to her friends up above, and how she missed them so, going about their mischievous lives without her.

As her mind wandered she sat on the stone floor, wincing from the cold before slipping on a stocking, unaware that she was being watched like prey to a hungry beast. _"Leaving so soon?"_ A haunting voice reached her ears accompanied by hot breath which brushed her cool skin, before soft lips curled into a smile found their way to her neck, leaving wet open mouth kisses from the base up to tease her earlobe. Alyssa moaned as her body relaxed involuntarily into Erik kneeling behind her, and before she had a chance to protest or even think, he took her right there on the stone floor, bringing them both to a hurried release. In the afterglow, Alyssa muttered, _"You really must stop doing that…"_ before wriggling out of Erik's grasp and starting to dress as if nothing had happened.

After watching her for a minute or two, Erik rose and straightened his now dampened clothing, dusted himself off and strode to the makeshift kitchen to prepare coffee. _"Why?"_ he called across the room to her.

"_Why what?"_ she replied, beginning to get frustrated with her corset.

"_Why must I stop doing that?"_ After finally fixing the last lace, Alyssa rolled her eyes and turned to face him across the cavern, being met with a playful smirk, which only infuriated her more. _"Why do you think? One, I can barely walk most of the time. Two, I have no energy, meaning I get shouted at by Giry for not keeping up, and that's if I make it in on time. I am not a machine Erik!"_ she half shrieked, only adding to his amusement, as he continued to smirk into his coffee mug. Giving up attempting to communicate with her partner turned sex addict, she moved to the mirror beside her and began fixing her now ruined hair. Placing down his mug, Erik moved across the room to stand behind her once more, before whispering in her ear, _"You know you love it…"_

Erik had her twice more without complaint before she left to attend her dancing, late once again. He drifted slowly back to his desk and slumped heavily into the soft leather chair, before pulling out the draw containing his precious plans and removing them carefully, placing them on the counter and skimming over them. Although he had read them a thousand times, and knew them word for word, he could not help but imagine he had missed something.

Turning pages urgently, his eyes devoured the script on the parchment, and by the time he had reached the final page, his shirt was damp with nervous sweat, and his breathing had grown shallow. Within minutes he felt himself losing his nerve, his conscience digging itself from the depths of darkness where it had been buried so long ago. Standing suddenly, he covered his face with his hands and shouted into them, his breath becoming short gasps through his fingers. _Why am I doing this? Why! _His battered conscience spoke up momentarily, before being quickly squashed. _You know why…_A flash of Chantelle linking arms with the D'Changy boy flitted through his mind, followed by a flash of his dream, Alyssa being murdered by the happy couple.

And finally, the night when she had humiliated him onstage, before denying and leaving him filled his mind. Rage simmered beneath his skin as a hot flush engulfed his body and he dropped his hands, bringing his left up once more to slap himself fiercely, causing the room to spin and his mask to dislodge and hit the ground, shattering at his feet. Clutching the desk and breathing heavily, Erik shook his head. _"She will be the death of me…"_ he murmured, _"Unless I am the death of her…"_

-

"_You bitch!"_ shrieked Melody from the floor after falling victim to one of Alyssa's pranks. _"Go back to your cave, save us having to put up with you_._"_ Alyssa, in fits of laughter, watched the little blonde pick herself up and dust herself off, before answering between giggles, _"Yes I had better be getting back, its just about time for my afternoon delight!"_ Melody's mouth dropped open and an angry blush surfaced on her cheeks as Alyssa added, _"jealous much?"_

With that, Melody pushed past the small crowd of girls that had milled around and stormed off in the direction of the dorms, hot tears threatening to fall. Alyssa laughed once more as the crowd began to disperse before turning to the two girls left, Amelie and Sarah. _"Ah, the good old tricks never die." _She sighed, and embraced her friends. As they parted, Amelie spoke up. _"Hey Lyss, why don't you join us for lunch? We can get Giry again big time!"_ Giving a defeated sigh, she answered, _"No I had better go. I was serious about the afternoon delight, though I don't know how delightful it will be. He thinks I'm a machine!" _she whispered sharply, before adding with mock seriousness,_ "I think he's trying to kill me."_

The girls laughed together at Alyssa's confession, and Sarah added _"Yeah but you love it" _causing another eruption of giggles. Placing a hand on each of her friend's shoulders, she murmured, _"Oh I miss you two so much. I'll come up as often as I can, okay?"_ The other two nodded and they embraced once more, before parting ways, Alyssa to the cellar door, Amelie and Sarah to the dining hall.

Upon reaching the underground cavern, Alyssa dragged herself to the bedroom, shedding items of clothing until she reached the bed and collapsed onto it, wearing only her thin slip and undergarments, utterly exhausted. She heard movement behind her and prepared herself for what she expected to come, but was surprised when Erik gently sat beside her and brushed the hair from her face. He was wearing a new mask, and the visible half of his features were set with surreal calm as he spoke to her. _"I am going out for a few hours, there is some business I must attend to which should have been dealt with a long time ago…"_ Alyssa watched as he became distant and suddenly remembered why.

She had managed to push the coming events to the back of her mind and had almost forgotten them, but the remembrance hit her like a punch in the stomach. They sat in silence for a moment or two before Alyssa attempted to lighten the mood, playing that she knew nothing of his thoughts. _"What, no afternoon delight?"_ He looked down at her and chuckled, before gently pinching her cheek. _"You'll have to miss out today, I'm afraid. I shall make it up to you tonight, alright?" _She nodded and he stood, before striding to the desk, collecting his cloak, hat and briefcase, and making his way out through the direct route into the streets.

Suddenly alone, Alyssa knew there was not a moment to lose and she dressed hurriedly, slipping into a fresh uniform before taking out her own plan sheet from the false bottom of her powder box. Gathering the entire contents of Erik's leather wallet, a pocket watch and a shawl, she placed them in her satchel, checked the time before dashing out into the streets via the same route Erik had taken minutes ago. Keeping out of sight until she reached the carriage rank, she caught one driver's attention and quickly handed him 50 francs, ordering him to take her to the D'Changy Estate. _"As fast as you can!"_ she shouted, before climbing into the carriage and locking the door. _"As you wish, Madame."_ The driver answered happily more to himself, tucking the wad of money into his pocket and strapping the horses into a brisk trot, before reaching the open country road and whipping them into a gallop.

As Alyssa rocked to and fro with the speeding carriage, her heart began to pound in her chest and fear welled in the pit of her stomach. _"What are you doing, you stupid girl?"_ she murmured to herself, but had no chance to answer as the tall gates of the Estate came into view, and she leaned forward and rapped on the wooden panel separating herself and the driver. The divider slid open and she was suddenly hit by a rush of cold air, making her face begin to numb. _"Yes?"_ the driver shouted over the roar of the wind, turning his head to face her as best he could while keeping his eyes on the road. _"Slow down,"_ Alyssa managed to shout back as freezing air continued to whip around her, _"Take me around the back of the homestead." _The driver nodded and she quickly shut the divider, settling back into the leather seat and wrapping her arms around her body in a feeble attempt to warm herself.

Before long, she felt the coach slow a little and begin the gentle ascent to the Estate. Coming to a sharp halt under the eaves at the rear of the large house, Alyssa disembarked and thanked the driver, paying him an extra tip to keep his mouth shut. _"You make sure that Monsieur le Vicomte has an enjoyable afternoon."_ The driver spoke smugly, causing Alyssa to spin around and retort angrily, _"I am not a whore!"_ Nodding his head, the man gathered the reins and answered, _"Of course you aren't," _before turning the carriage and starting on the road back to the city.

Shaking her head, Alyssa turned back to the house, fear falling like an anvil on her shoulders. Taking her plan sheet out of her satchel, she studied it frantically, disbelief flooding her senses. She hadn't planned a means of getting inside the house. On the verge of tears, she tried to think rationally. _I can't use any of the main doors, incase I get found out by servants… there isn't a basement…_ Her eyes roamed the surface of the mansion anxiously until they fell on an open window, relief spreading through her. She slipped the parchment back into the satchel and ran to the ivy covered wall, and found a large gutter draining pipe bolted to the brick. She tested her weight on it before beginning to climb, using the large bolts and thicker ivy branches as foot and handholds.

She clambered upwards, almost laughing at herself for the stunt she was attempting, slowly reaching higher and higher. Three feet from the windowsill, a branch gave way beneath her foot and she gave a small yelp as her footholds were lost, leaving her hanging by her hands, gripping a bolt and a bough for dear life. She whimpered softly as she flailed to find another bolt, fear of falling and breaking her neck becoming almost overwhelming. Suddenly her right foot connected with a thicker branch and she stepped onto it, quivering like a leaf with small tears sliding down her burning cheeks.

Looking up once more through tear-hazed eyes, she took a breath and three more upward steps, before hauling herself as quietly as possible through the window and into a bedroom,tumbling ungracefully on her backside on the floor. Breathing in short sharp gasps, she thanked the lord for the closed door that she was behind, and listened carefully for any sound of movement, still quaking violently. Suddenly a muffled cry and two soft thuds reached her ears, followed by a short feminine scream and the slamming of a door. Alyssa brought out the pocket watch and checked the face. _"Right on time…"_ she whispered sadly, before picking herself up off the floor and moving to the door, placing her ear to the wood, hearing nothing.

After taking a few deep breaths, she steeled herself for the actions and events about to unfold, before slowly turning the brass doorknob and peeked her head out. Four servants lay prone in the hallway, two more in the stairwell. One man was bleeding from his nose which was badly broken. Alyssa put her hand to her mouth and held her breath to stifle a scream, her face contorting with disbelief, before rushing to the closest man and kneeling beside him. As she lifted his head, a small handkerchief came into view and she carefully picked it up and held it under her nose. Within seconds she became lightheaded and dropped the kerchief quickly, before fanning herself with her hand. _"Chloroform"_ she whispered dazedly.

Once she had regained full awareness, she placed the serf's head back on the ground and stood, before making her way down the remainder of the hallway. Quietly tip-toeing past one closed door, she heard a familiar voice in calm conversation with another, more feminine, though she seemed frightened. Placing her ear to the door, Alyssa heard the sound of a chair scraping on floorboards, and a sharp _"No!"_ that was cut short. Suddenly feeling sickened, she rushed into the adjoining room and shut the door, breathing hard, tears freely streaming down her cheeks.

What was he doing in there with the other woman? Looking to the door that separated the two rooms, she quickly crept to it and peered through the keyhole, her eyes being met by Erik with his back to her, attending to something in front of him. He threw a rope upwards over the rafters in the roof, and doing so moved to the left, revealing a young woman sitting rigidly on a tall wooden stool, long chocolate curls obscuring her tear-stained face, and a noose resting loosely around her slender neck. Alyssa choked on a sob as she recognized the woman from many of Erik's macabre artworks and rage filled musical scores. It was Chantelle.

_"Erik, why are you doing this?"_ the woman questioned, her voice no more than a frightened whisper. He took a seat a few feet away and admired his almost finished work. _"My, you look gorgeous tied up like that Chantelle," _he answered, completely disregarding her question, smirking as more tears sullied her alabaster complexion. _"Erik…"_ she sobbed, giving up all hope of escaping. Erik stood once again, and walked over to stand beside her, playing with a strand of her chocolate curls.

_"Why am I doing this?"_ he hissed. _"Because I have Alyssa now, yet until you are out of my life completely, I cannot start a new one with her." _His voice cracked as his anger swelled._ "You haunt me day and night! I cannot stand upon the stage of my own academy without being reminded of the humiliation you put me through!"_ Erik was on the verge of tears as his voice rose with every anguished sentence, adding to the terror within the woman before him. After a moment of silence, Chantelle gazed into the red rimmed eyes of her once cherished tutor and spoke, her voice deeply saddened. _"You've stolen her soul, haven't you?"_ Erik's gaze pierced her mind as he answered nonchalantly, _"A sufficient repayment for the one you stole from me, don't you agree?"_

Chantelle began to sob quietly and he reached for the dangling end of the rope hanging from the rafters, before moving his foot to gently push against the leg of the stool she was seated on, causing it to rock. Alyssa, still watching the dreadful display before her, felt her knees give way and they hit the wooden floor, causing a small thump to be heard. Fear seized her suddenly as Erik swung around to face the door, pure malice written on every inch of his visage. Keeping his eyes fixed on the door, he ordered softly _"Don't move"_ before slowly approaching the door. Alyssa's heart was pounding in her throat as a thousand thoughts and actions went through her mind. Deciding on one, shehad seconds to act before the doorbegan toopen.

------

**Bwa ha ha ha! Not much else to offer, just review and I'll shut up..**

**-sideways glance- -twitch twitch-**

**LoL...**


	15. If You Wish To Live

**A/n: Okay, so I couldn't wait till the weekend... Here it is, the final installments of Silence, EVER! -cries- Alright I admit, it took me so long to put this up coz I didn't want it to end... I've been slaving over this since June, its just become a part of me! And now its over! -cries some more- **

**Yeah so I really hope everyone has enjoyed the ride (I know I have!) and let me know it! Beware the XXX although its not the usual Erik nastiness this time. I wasn't originally going to have it in here (my editor didn't think it was neccessary..) so give me your opinion: Smut or no smut? just for future reference. Without further ado, here it is. Please enjoy :)**

_15: If You Wish to Live-_

Erik's every footstep upon the wooden floorboards in the adjoining room echoed in her mind as he approached the door agonizingly slowly. Alyssa scarcely drew breath as the loud creak of the rusty hinges reached her ears and from her hiding place, she saw the frighteningly calm stature of her lover.

He stood slightly spread stance, surveying the room for signs of life, before slowly beginning to move silently about the large bedroom. As he moved out of her line of sight, Alyssa's gaze fell on Chantelle now visible through the open door. She was standing atop a small stool, her hands bound behind her back and long russet curls shrouding her face. Her cloth was plain, a white day dress covered her small frame which was beginning to tremble with quiet sobs, and her delicate dancers' feet were unclad, balancing her quaking body against the noose now tightened around her neck.

If she had been unaware of the history between Erik and this frightened girl-child before her, Alyssa may have felt something close to sympathy for her. Though having witnessed first hand Erik's pain and suffering caused by her actions, she could not find it within her to pity. She had dragged him through the depths of hell, returning him a broken excuse for the man he once was, and although Alyssa could not condone his current actions, she understood and believed it was the only way he knew how to handle such situations. And it was thoughts like these that bought tears to her eyes.

Alyssa's view of Chantelle was obscured for a moment as Erik's polished dress shoes passed slowly by her face, close enough for her to smell the book-black, and hear the soft straining of ankle tendons beneath the heavy fabric of his freshly pressed trousers. He came to a halt at the foot of the large bed in the centre of the room and, after taking a last sweeping glance, chuckled icily.

_"Paranoia,"_ he began, loud enough for Chantelle to hear, _"One of the prime symptoms of Morphine addictions. A small price to pay for the ability to escape the pain you so lovingly bestowed on me."_ He turned and glared at Chantelle, the visible half of his face the epitome of malice and pain.

Chantelle's mouth dropped open in disbelief before a sudden thought crossed Erik's mind and he turned back to the bed, eyeing the valance curiously. Shifting his weight abruptly, he kicked at the base of the bed, his foot connecting with something hard, catching his attention. It took all of Alyssa's strength not to make a sound as the toe of his shoe collided with the side of her skull, making her vision blur momentarily, before the shock of the situation hit her.

_He's going to find me…_tears sprang to her eyes and she began to wriggle backwards as quietly as she could, pain from her bruised skull washing over her in waves, and sweat beginning to form on her forehead. _I am as good as dead…_

She watched in slow motion as Erik began to kneel, his deft hand taking the hem of the valance and slowly beginning to lift, before a shrill voice cut through the pulsing air.

_"You miserable bastard!"_

Erik froze instantly at the address, before dropping the valance and standing quickly, stepping to the left revealing Chantelle to Alyssa once more. She was flushed and furious, her fine features twisted into such rage that Alyssa was sure she felt some of Erik's conceit evaporate from the overwrought air around her.

_"Excuse me?"_ Erik began, noticeably taken aback by her outburst.

_"You think you know paranoia!" _She shouted piercingly,_ "you were not the one being watched every moment of your life! Every movement I made Erik, I know you saw it, you cannot deny. Everywhere I went, who I saw, everything I said for God's sake!" _She was panting, large tears falling from wide brown eyes to roll down her flawless alabaster cheeks and come to rest on her simple white skirts. _"You don't know the meaning of paranoia…"_ she finished, her voice barely above a tremulous whisper.

Erik merely stared disbelieving for a moment, astonished that she would dare speak to him in such a manner in the position that she was in, her life in his hands. Before long he glared angrily and growled, _"That's quite enough out of you, mademoiselle"_ before stalking through the door, slamming it hard it enough to rattle its foundations.

Alyssa quickly rolled out from under the bed and burst into tears, pushing her skirt fabric into her mouth and biting down hard to silence the gut wrenching sobs now assaulting her body. She owed her life to the small woman in the next room, and for that she would sing her a thousand praises, and return the favour. Chantelle's life nowhung in the balance.

Over the blood rushing in her ears and the splitting pain in her head she heard Erik's haunting voice beating the poor girl, shouting abuse, making her understand, before she was suddenly surrounded by silence. Alyssa removed the fabric from her mouth and crept to the door once more, steeling herself for what she might see through the dreaded keyhole. Chantelle was sobbing loudly, a familiar catgut noose encircled her neck, the tail end looped over the roofing rafters and pulled tight by Erik, who was beginning to rock the stool she was seated upon with his foot, a wicked grin on is face.

He meant to hang her, it was plain to see, though Alyssa couldn't understand why she had not thought it before, it was his trademark after all. Without warning, Erik whispered _"Goodbye Mon Ange…"_ before giving the stool one last push to overbalance it, and with a strangled cry Chantelle plummeted from her seat to suspend by her slender neck a little way from the floor.

Erik wasted no time in his getaway, and hurriedly threw himself out of the window without a second glance, reaching the ground safely on a hidden rope and walking briskly to the back of the estate to his coach that stood waiting, his movements all precisely timed. As soon as he had left the windowsill, Alyssa flung open the door and rushed to Chantelle who was thrashing like an eel, her face already a shade of purple, and slipped a small dagger from beneath her skirts.

Wasting no time, Alyssa hacked roughly through the catgut until Chantelle dropped from her suspended hell like a ripened apple to the floor, still unable to take in oxygen. Lunging at the poor girl, Alyssa wrenched the lasso loose from her neck and unbound her hands, thrusting her head back to allow greater air flow. Chantelle lay gasping for air for many minutes, her limbs curled around her quaking body, her eyes wide with fear.

Glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, Alyssa cursed suddenly and realized she had only minutes to escape, as the Vicomte was due home momentarily. Reaching out, Alyssa took Chantelle's chin in her trembling hands and turned her tearstained face to her own, their eyes meeting in extreme urgency. _"Who are you? My savior…"_ Chantelle managed, before new tears emerged. Alyssa shook her head and hushed her.

_"We have no time for this. You must listen to me, you hear? Look at me! You must leave France. Leave his place and go as far away as you can, do you understand? Should you wish to live, go as soon as you can. Get out, do you hear me?" _Chantelle feebly nodded, great fear resonating from her deep chocolate orbs. Without another word, Alyssa was gone, out of the room, down the hall, through the door and out the window to scale the wall down to her coach which had a moment ago arrived.

She paid the same smug Frenchman who delivered her to keep his mouth shut and he returned her to the Academy, though not before commenting on her tousled and flushed appearance, and remarking that the Vicomte must be a man of many talents.

-

As Alyssa descended the last flight of darkened steps to the grotto, she was surrounded by the most wondrous music, the likes of which had never graced the ears of the human race. It assaulted her weary soul, lifting her from the darkness into the light with its delicate harmonies and swelling crescendos. _Such sound cannot be produced by a mere mortal…_Alyssa thought dazedly as she quietly opened the cellar door to reveal Erik, seated at the organ shrouded in candle light, his ebony hair unsettled by the ferocity of his performance, swaying with his jarring body movements.

She continued unnoticed into the cavern, shutting her eyes and letting the celestial melody envelope her to the point where she was scarcely breathing, before it suddenly stopped. Alyssa opened her eyes slowly to find Erik staring at her from behind the organ pipes, and for a second she was sure her heart had stopped, when slowly but surely a small smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth, a rarity she had barely seen.

Expelling her held breath in a loud sigh she rushed over to him, returning his smile with one many times larger and flung her arms around him, feeling elated as his arms wrapped around her in answer. She buried her face into his chest and breathed him in, before starting as he asked curiously, though with a hint of laughter behind is words, _"and what is the meaning of this?"_

She suddenly remembered herself and cursed inwardly, realizing her cover had almost been blown on a whim. He wasn't to know where she had been, nor why his happiness filled her to bursting point with relief. _"What? Can't I embrace the man I love without reason?" _

He chuckled, though this time it was genuine, and looked into her glowing features, before noticing the large purple bruise on the upside of her face, his smile falling instantly. _"What is this?"_ he murmured, gently brushing his fingertips over he swollen area, watching Alyssa wince. _"Has that little sow Giry been at you again?"_ He was suddenly furious and it took Alyssa's gentle caress on his cheek to gain his attention. _"No, nothing like that,"_ she assured him, _"I merely ran into a prop backstage, you know how clumsy I can be."_ She smiled as she felt him relax, and placed her head back on his chest, relishing as she felt his chin come to rest on the crown of her ebony tresses.

They stood like this for second, minutes, perhaps hours, enjoying each others warmth and happiness, before Erik spoke softly, cutting the silence in a tone that she knew well. _"Alyssa…"_ he murmured, ever so slightly shifting against her, and before he had a chance to continue, she gazed into his glowing eyes, her own heavy with desire and answered, _"Yes Erik, of course."_ He smiled once more before lifting her gently off her feet, still delighting in he way she nestled her lips against his neck as he carried her across the cavern to their room, placing her delicately back on her feet before the large bed.

No words were said as she reached out to slowly unbutton his white lawn shirt, gently pushing it off his shoulders and letting it flutter to the ground. He followed her lead, stepping closer and reaching behind her to unlace her grey bodice, it too falling to the floor before her. His trousers and her skirts and shift followed, until they were standing before one another in the flesh, admiring the bodies of their lovers.

As their eyes met, Alyssa's mind closed on a thought and she reached to caress Erik's masked cheek, silently asking permission. His eyes fell and he turned his face from her, before heaving a small sigh and slowly, ever so slowly reaching up, he removed the mask. Tears sprung to Alyssa's eyes as he bared himself totally to her, at last shedding the layers of fear and hurt to reveal something, though damaged, far more beautiful than she could have imagined.

He had exposed his soul for her, and in repayment, she reached up and stroked the swollen, uneven flesh, watching him weep silently, before capturing his lips in a kiss both gentle and fierce all at once.

XXXXXX

Without breaking contact, she dragged him down into the black silken sheets and tangled her fingers in his dark hair as he worshipped her porcelain body, leaving soft closed kisses on every inch of her burning skin. She moaned softly as he kissed the lengths of her inner thighs, and arched her spine as his lips brushed her very core.

He pleasured and teased her until she begged for him, and only then did he position himself above her and proceeded to make love to her as gently and as beautifully as he could. Alyssa was overcome as he surged within her, his movements tender as though she was a china doll, and the slightest pressure would break her.

They made love in every sense of the word, murmuring, kissing, rising and falling until Alyssa dug her nails into the soft flesh of Erik's back and cried his name, blinded by his tenderness and passion, loving the sudden flood of warmth within her accompanied by his soft whimper of completion. Before long, Erik removed himself and they lay together, panting for breath, relishing in the afterglow of their souls reunion.

XXXXXX

As Alyssa crawled onto Erik to rest her head on his chest and her legs between his, he shut his eyes and felt is heart swell almost painfully, realizing he could not deny what was in his heart any further. _"Erik,"_ Alyssa murmured suddenly, _"I love you."_

Here he was lying, exposed, with a beautiful girl in his arms who had seen past the mask and had a moment ago whispered the three words that would etch themselves into is heart forever. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he took a shuddering breath, disbelieving the events playing out.

_"I…I love you…"_ he spoke softly, his voice barely above a trembling whisper, and felt warm tears splash onto his chest as Alyssa's tears of happiness flowed unrestrained. Such power was in those shuddering words, such power that Alyssa daren't guess. He had found the key to his freedom, and although she did, and forever would keep the secret of secrets, her heart swam with happiness for him as they wept together.

He was finally free to love, and he had allowed his tortured soul to bind with another's in the hope of a new life.

--------

**A/n: Waaahhh! Hmm, happy Erik! That's a change.. **

**Again, with the smut thing, should it be there or not? Opinions please! Thanking you in advance, and now for the epilogue. See you there **

Eric


	16. Epilogue

**The last chapter ever... Enjoy!**

_16: Epilogue-_

"_Chantelle!"_ called Rohan from the dining room, _"hurry dear or your meal will cool."_

A small smile crept across Chantelle's features at the sound of her dear husband's voice as she stood gazing out the window of their magnificent Russian estate.

After her frightening incident with Erik, Chantelle had pleaded with her husband that they leave their life in France and make a new start somewhere far away. Although he had never fully understood why, Rohan had agreed, believing her fear of the Academy Ghost would drive her insane unless he took action.

They had settled in St. Petersburg, in a large mansion close to the towering snowcapped mountains and begun a new life, complete with two lovely children in close succession. Chantelle now felt free, the ghosts of her past resting thousands of miles away, and a happy existence stretched before her.

She was shaken from her thoughts by a small hand tugging at her burgundy taffeta skirts. A smile graced her features as the large cerulean eyes of her daughter of three summers shone from a perfect alabaster visage, a small smile on her petite pink lips. She was every bit the image of Chantelle, her long mahogany curls and porcelain skin, though the sky blue eyes were a gift from her father, forever shining and wonderful.

_"Papa says you should come away from the window, you might catch cold."_ The little girl stated softly, only causing Chantelle's smile to widen as she took her daughter's hand and followed her to the grand dining room.

_"Is that so? Well, I'll make sure to stand by the fire tonight." _She knelt and placed a kiss on the tip of her daughter's nose, then received the same with a grin, before rising and going to her husband and lifting the baby boy from his lap and into her arms. She toyed with his golden locks as he grabbed for her necklace, his wide ice blue eyes glowing with happiness and she smiled to him, then to her family.

It was times such as these that she praised the Lord for that young girl with ebony hair and shadowy eyes that saved her that day, and had allowed her to achieve this ultimate joy in which she lived. Taking a seat at the polished mahogany table, she placed her son on her knee and began her supper.

-

Thus began a new chapter in the lives of Erik and Alyssa. They had wedded in the beautified depths of the underground cavern, the ceremony performed and witnessed by a trusted priest of Giry's prior acquaintance, Father Jean-Paul Bernard. He had blessed them, and they were bound under the eyes of the Lord, the kiss finally shared by man and wife more powerful than anything ever experienced by the pair. Father Bernard had also blessed the child growing within Alyssa, praying it may grow and prosper with devoted parents ever watchful.

"_I am forever yours, Erik." _Alyssa had whispered as they lay together on their wedding night, buried beneath layers of black and red silk, shrouded in darkness by the black gossamer curtain surrounding their bed. With a gentle hand, Erik had caressed his wife's swelling abdomen lovingly, the thought that she was carrying his flesh and blood still overwhelming, and murmured back, _"there has never been a happier man alive than I at this moment_._ You complete me."_

She had taught him to love once more, to set free his damaged soul and bind with another, releasing him from the shackles of solitude and bringing him into the light of wedded bliss. The secret she kept from him would be taken with her to the grave, a secret now she often pondered. He had tricked and deceived many people in his long life, and now without realizing, the one thought that kept him sane was no more than a vicious dream thought to have been fulfilled. For once he did not have the upper hand, yet he did not know it. _What he does not know can't hurt, _Alyssa would remind herself with a sly smile, _and he will never know, I'll be sure of that…_

She smiled as she felt his breathing become even and began to drift into sleep herself, lulled by the gentle lapping of the underground lake on its stone shore, and her child moving softly within her. They were one, and a whole, and they would be for many years. But for now they slept, peacefully and warm in their loving embrace.

In silence.

**A/n: There it is, the last of my story. -cries- I hope it was worth it! And nothing is complete without thankyous:**

**To my reviewers - Youguys have been so good to me, your kind words (and condolances at times) have meant so much to me over the past eight months, so much that I cant begin to say. I am so glad I have been able to engage you, and write a piece that people actually enjoy! It has been a wonderful experience, and I hope for more to come! Once again, I thank you.**

**To my Editor, Nuffyrox: I wouldn't have gotten very far without you there reading every chapter closely, telling me what needed fixing or changing. You have been a wonderful help to me and I greatly appreciate it, though not as much as your friendship. I love you so much, and nothing I can say will ever thank you enough. I am just glad you have been here for me since the good ol' days :) -huggles- thank you Erin, for everything.**

**To all those who read anonymously: Its great to know that so many people give this a go, and I'm glad you guys did, even if you didn't leave a review. Thank you for taking an interest!**

**So thats all from me at the moment. I have posted some poems recently, you might like to take a squiz:) **

**I have had many other ideas for a new fic in mind, though it may take a while to get it to paper, if I begin at all. What do you think, do you want another story from my twisted mind? LoL let me know! But its bye for now, and I will answer every review/comment that I recieve. :)**

**Peace and love-**

**Eric :)**


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